Tips & Advice For Starting Out In The Music Industry

By Jeff Fulton, July 2007


 (The Eastern @ Al's Bar - photo c/o Duke Mule)

1) Be Realistic About Your Goals
Talk to people about your style and genre and work out your resources, do you have the passion and commitment to be a full-time musician? Know your limits, is your music commercially orientated (will it sell?) or are you keen to just play with your friends. Are you a live band, do you need a booking agent, a manager, a label, a publisher? - work out what are you trying to achieve and put a plan together with milestones and timelines.

2) Really Learn Your Craft
Focus on playing that instrument as well as you can, really work on your songs and get some independent feedback - your friends and family will always tell you you are great! Do you have a strong, capable and unique vocalist, people notice vocals first.

3) Be Professional
Be polite and respectful when dealing with people in the music industry in NZ. It is a very small scene which you can work to your advantage. Contact people via email in the first instance and then follow it up by a phonecall (don’t text!) but be patient and persistent. Add an email signature and get a spreadsheet together of music contacts and add to it regularly - its a possible mailing list and you never know when you may need to contact that person you spoke to a year ago.

4) Carefully Plan Your Visual Image and 'Story'
Build Your Press Kit Showing Your Point of Difference. In a competitive industry you need to show why you are different and more interesting. Use an interesting angle in your bio (1 page max), logo, profile/pen portrait (5-6 line blurb for websites), photo's, digital flyers, posters, website/s and (separate) press release. People often read the first line only so you need a ‘hook’. Look at bands who are similar to you who are marketing themselves really well - promote your band at every opportunity! Electronic Press Kits are becoming more apparent using SonicBids and other web/email applications.

5) Get the Best Recording Possible
Make your music as great as it can be, take your time and get plenty of objective opinions on it (as your friends and family will only tell you how great it is!). You need a quality demo/EP/CD of at least 2 or 3 songs that you can proudly put your name to and even sell at your gigs. Using a reknowned studio/engineer/producer can also help maximise the recording quality plus help you build 'your story'.

6) Understand Copyright & Revenue Streams
Learn about the 2 disctinct copyrights and how each has revenue streams.
1) Musical Works (the song) - APRA, Publishers
2) Sound recording (the physical recording of the song) - Labels, PPNZ
APRA (its free) and register all your songs with the songwriter splits. You will then get paid for broadcast (radio, tv) and live performances. It might even be worth setting up your own label to co-ordinate physical and digital ditribution. Talk to IMNZ about the benefits of registering as an independent label. Read about revenue streams available to musicians.

7) Add Value
Perhaps combine your CD with a DVD with your video or images. Package your material professionally and always label your disks and cover including the spine. If you are selling your CD or looking to send promotional copies of your EP around the industry then if budget allows, seriously consider presenting it in a full CD size jewel case... think about all those slimline cases which get lost in your CD rack at home? You want to be recognisable and remembered - you never know who might end up with a copy!

8) Get an Online Presence & Build Your Fanbase
Ask a friend to design one or at the very least get set up your own profile. MySpace is social networking site which is a music industry standard but Facebook is rapidly catching up. Most networking sites are free and you can upload your bio, photo’s, songs and embed your YouTube video’s. Labels/Publishers/Agents/Managers, etc use these profiles to checkout an artist’s professional development, how many ‘friends’ they have and hear and see what they are about.

Your fans are your consumers so treat them well, keep them informed and engage with them regularly. The internet is an essential medium and artists are using it to build profile and exposure, gain sponsorship, access fans and sell their music and merchandise.

9) Work Your Local Market As Hard As You Can
No-one is going to sign an unknown band from NZ that can't even get it together to put a record out in their home territory. Labels/Publishers/Advertisers want to be shown that you can fill a room, have a fan-base and therefore want to be a part of this. NZ is super-easy to tour, so learn what its like to play 3 shows  in and around your home town and if planning on touring overseas try playing 3 nights in both islands before considering taking off.

10) Network
Every week talk to other bands, labels, managers, industry types and if you need to, get help. There are many experienced, savvy and passionate people in companies out there that can give you a tip, a name, or a push in the right direction and give you that early break. This is not an industry that supports a solitary path, you need help, you need expertise, and you need experience. There's nothing wrong with getting assistance. Educate yourself - about the international markets, about who the right people are to speak to, about how to approach them, about how to strike a deal. Use the tools that CHART, NZMIC, RIANZ and other bodies provide. And don't abuse the system. Don't make lies up about your band to get a grant to go overseas to play a showcase that no one will go to.

11) Attitude
Always Remember Why You Are Doing It - enjoy it, love it, express your passion and dedication and pride and most importantly do everything possible in your power to make it great. A willingness to work and keep building that perception of momentum means pushing yourself, stretching yourself and believing in yourself. Get out there and get busy!

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Jeff Fulton is the Canterbury Co-ordinator of the NZ Music Managers Forum and Manager of ((CHART)). Contact Jeff at info@christchurchmusic.org.nz