BTTV BLOG

Really interesting interview from Hypebot about what the public is willing to pay for when so much of what music is about is so easily had for free. What are the scarcities that still remain? What and how much are people willing to pay? Lots of good questions and answers. Worth it, yo.

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This is part two of my interview segment with Hannah, who is the writer behind File Sharing Represents New Generation. She could very well be the new music consumer, depending on who you ask. I found her short essay online and thought it was be an interesting take on the current happenings in the music industry – from the perspective of someone not as deeply as entrenched as most of us. In part two, Hannah shares her thoughts on how the free flow of music has benifited artists and what fans are willing to pay for.

What are fans willing to pay for? If they won’t pay for digital downloads of music, how else are they planning to support the creativity of artists? In what instances do you feel inclined to buy music, compensating an artist?

Hannah: Fans are absolutely willing to pay for concerts. And all this is not to say that we will absolutely never download legally from iTunes, etc. We will, if we can’t find another easy way. Really, it’s all about accessibility.

If someone we know knows how to get it for free, then of course we will do that. But if it’s easier to log on and buy it, we’ll do that too.

Fans are also willing to listen to ads; Pandora has ads now, and many websites like HypeMachine have limits where you can’t skip through songs. That, in addition to being a restriction that we are willing to put up with, also exposes us to stuff we wouldn’t necessarily listen to otherwise.

Read more @  Hypebot

The record is done but what now? Since a lot of this game is up to bands these days a few tips on when to release your record might be helpful. We All Make Music gives the 411 via a guest post from  Jem Bahaijoub, the founder of Imagine PR. There are some good tips. We give you a taste but head over to WAMM for more detail.

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All too often, musicians rush their new album’s or EP’s release without considering what the best time-frame for that release may be. Just because your album is done doesn’t mean you have to rush it out – there are numerous factors to take into account before you confirm your release date.

Here are some tips on how to schedule and promote your album’s release:

If You Can’t Ship It, Don’t Promote It

What’s the Best Quarter For You?

Know the Time-Line of Your Target Market

**OUR FAVE** – Plan a Comprehensive CD Release Tour in Conjunction With Your Release

Journalists will want to see that you are in demand as a live performer before writing about you. Keeping that in mind, it’s important to note that the two quietest touring months are January and July. That can make it difficult to find other acts to partner with on gigs.

Read more @  We All Make Music

On Friday we brought you Martin Atkin’s take on touring 101. Now we drop some more advice from Thor Harris. #8 is kind of funny “8-Masturbate. Duh… Where & when? Be creative. You’re an artist right?”. Yep, low-brow humor is where we keep it on a Saturday afternoon.

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1-Don’t Complain. Bitching, moaning, whining is tour cancer. If something is wrong fix it or shut the fuck up you fucking dick. goddamn.

2-If you fart, claim it.

3-Don’t Lose shit. Everybody loses shit. Don’t fucking do it. Asshole.

4-Don’t fuck anyone in the band. There are tons of people to fuck who are not in this band. Dumbass.

5-If you feel like shit all the time, drink less beer at the gig. You will play better & feel better. What are you… a child? Some have the endurance for self abuse. Most don’t.

6-Remember the soundman’s name. He will do a better job.

7- Eat oranges. Cures constipation & prevents colds.

Read more @  Looking for the Magic

Hero of all things touring Martin Atkins is throwing down a list of the top 29 things touring bands can do to make a difference. A preview: 12. Small is the new huge, 16. Stop persuing perfection, 19. Learn to screen print and one of our favorites 20. Be nice to everyone.

Swing by Eventric from details on all these and a few more.

Read more @ Eventric.

With the deadline for SXSW band submissions coming November 5th it’s a good idea to go over a few things about playing  SXSW. Sonicbids drops 3 solids in a row.

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Once the bands are selected and the showcases scheduled, the success of SXSW then relies solely on the bands that play there. And while most bands put on great shows and make the most of their time at SXSW, there is always room for error. We had a chance to talk to the masterminds of SXSW to ask them what are some of the common mistakes made by bands. Here are the top three biggest mistakes a band can make at SXSW:

Read More @ Sonicbids Blogs

We answered a few questions for the UK’s MusicTech magazine and they were kind enough to publish them. Get your mits on the story below, or download the PDF.

Huge thanks to MT mag for finding us and helping spread the word.

Hey champions of justice a new version of this here site is on it’s way. Yes, we too just love this wonder of social networking we currently have but it’s time to jack things up a bit. You know, elaborate on the theme a little. Give everyone a little bang for the buck. So we are rebuilding this thing from the ground up.

Below we’ve got a couple pics of the redesign in progress.

Two things we need from you:

#1 – If you want to BETA test this bad beast, let us know.

#2 – If you have some ideas, tweaks, genius functionalities you’d like to see, let us know that too.

Here you go! We’ve got a Home Page and Band Profile mock-up.

Remember these are a work in progress and not near the final versions.

It’s time for tour! Just getting to this point takes a ton of work and doesn’t happen for every band on the planet. You’ve got some shows booked (hopefully) and maybe more on the way. You’ve got your merch ready to sling and of course your band is crazy-tight and ready to kill it. Now it’s time to gas up the van, head out and let the cards fall where they may. Right? Wrong. You’ve got more work to do.