Here's How I’m Going To Write 10x More Music This Year

PDP said:
Publicity is free, anyone can record and distribute material.
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That's true, but it's an over-simplified view. The problem is rising above the giant overwhelming pool of muck that is the internet. Word of mouth isn't really what it used to be. People's attention span is way too short now. You'd have to spend day and night over and over spamming yourself all over cyberspace.....and you'd still probably not get anywhere. You'd probably be better off doing something horrible and trying to go viral for comedic value.

PDP said:
Who cares?
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Not me.
 
PDP said:
Publicity is free, anyone can record and distribute material.
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Man....you drank that Kool-Aid? :D

Hey, by all means post up on Youtube and Reverbnation and Soundcloud...etc...etc..... but don't call it "publicity" or "distribution".
It's more like vanity promotion.
 
And "Walmart At Midnight" is a quality song. It's not only humorous, but also reflects real life. Which is what "quality" songs are supposed to do. I don't necessarily agree with the OP, but do know that the more one does anything, the better one gets.
 
miroslav said:
Man....you drank that Kool-Aid? :D

Hey, by all means post up on Youtube and Reverbnation and Soundcloud...etc...etc..... but don't call it "publicity" or "distribution".
It's more like vanity promotion.
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That's very cynical, you can in fact reach real publicity and distribution if you can show "traction" on the sites you mentioned. Traction is over 2000 hits by strangers in 6 months or less. Most of us just don't have what it takes to grab that much attention, but if you can build enough traction, publicity, distribution and radioplay will come at no cost. (Distribution is a percentage) but some artists would prefer it. I know artists that dropped their old record deals to go the route I just explained. Its not impossible.
 
I think we could cut him (the writer of 10x) a break. I took his ideas to heart, such as, being a perfectionist, I tend to dismiss every idea from after the first days work, as junk. As it is, I have 50 twenty second clips and no songs (so to speak). We all know there are no tried and true avenues to 'stardom' and any inspiration at all is appreciated. :)
 
PDP said:
That's very cynical, you can in fact reach real publicity and distribution if you can show "traction" on the sites you mentioned. Traction is over 2000 hits by strangers in 6 months or less. Most of us just don't have what it takes to grab that much attention, but if you can build enough traction, publicity, distribution and radioplay will come at no cost. (Distribution is a percentage) but some artists would prefer it. I know artists that dropped their old record deals to go the route I just explained. Its not impossible.
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Miro is pretty cynical, but you're being awfully naive about self promotion. Is it impossible to get some notoriety all by yourslef? No. Is it likely? Fuck no.
 
Greg_L said:
Miro is pretty cynical, but you're being awfully naive about self promotion. Is it impossible to get some notoriety all by yourslef? No. Is it likely? Fuck no.
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Well, I disagree, in todays climate, you almost have to have something going for yourself before anyone will even look at you. Thinking that someone is going to come along and do it for you is naïve IMO.
 
PDP said:
Well, I disagree, in todays climate, you almost have to have something going for yourself before anyone will even look at you. Thinking that someone is going to come along and do it for you is naïve IMO.
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Who said that? No one said anything about someone coming along and doing it for you. All I'm saying is that you can flood every social media site you know of with your own stuff. But guess what, so is everyone else. You have to have something going for you in any climate, and everyone thinks they do. The problem is that there is so much shit to wade through and fight against. The internet and technology has not made it easier to get noticed. All it's done is allow every motherfucker on the planet that thinks his shit don't stink to be in easy competition with you. So yeah, it's easy to self promote. Woopdy doo. It's easy for everyone, so the same issues still stand. It still all boils down to just dumb blind luck. In fact it may be even harder now than yesteryear. It used to be that bands sent out demos and press kits and hopefully they could get the attention of one A&R guy or radio DJ. Or maybe they could play a gig and someone with some kind of importance might just happen to be in earshot. Bands used to be in relatively short supply. Gigs meant something. Demos and recordings meant something. Now every motherfucker has a band and records his own shit and plops it all over cyberspace. Bands are so plentiful that bars and clubs now make bands pay to play. How fucking wrong is that? Your odds of success are even longer now. It's cute and idealistic to think that your fate is all in your own hands through hard work and diligence, but no. It aint gonna happen. You still just need a massive helping of dumb blind luck.
 
PDP said:
That's very cynical, you can in fact reach real publicity and distribution if you can show "traction" on the sites you mentioned. Traction is over 2000 hits by strangers in 6 months or less. Most of us just don't have what it takes to grab that much attention, but if you can build enough traction, publicity, distribution and radioplay will come at no cost. (Distribution is a percentage) but some artists would prefer it. I know artists that dropped their old record deals to go the route I just explained. Its not impossible.
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You REALLY think that just getting 2000 hits on YT or Reverbnation is going to = enough "traction" that it actually means something AFA your product is concerned???

The whole point of publicity and distribution is to get some kind of return in return. Tell me what you've been getting back with all this "free" publicity and distribution?
And I don't mean satisfaction of personal vanity just because you can say that you got "2000 hits"....I mean that it translates to $$$.
If you don't care about it translating to $$$....then why care about promotion and distribution?
You're not going to be remembered by anyone just 'cuz you had 2000 hits on YouTube.
That's not "cynical"....that's reality.

There was once a wet dream that someone started , about how with the Internet and your home computer/studio....no one will have need of major labels and all that backing in order to make some money and get somewhere. That the music biz was dead or soon to be.
The wet dream dried up awhile ago...yet you still have millions of "YouTube stars" thinking that they're "making it" because of the number of hits they have.
Man...you can put up a clip of a cat licking it's ass on YouTube and get more than 2000 hits.....and what does that get you?

People place very little if any value in anything that is "FREE"....and that includes your music, and everyone else's that's out there floating for free on the Internet. You got better odds of hitting the Power Ball lottery than you do of someone important with connections finding your one song in the millions and millions of YU clips that are out there....and from that, helping you get somewhere else, instead of you remaining just another guy on YT doing "free" publicity and distribution.

PDP said:
....but if you can build enough traction, publicity, distribution and radioplay will come at no cost.
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That's still the "wet dream" I was refering to. I never said it was "impossible"....but it's very unlikely, more now than it ever was. The "free" is available to EVERYONE. We are now all just specks of sand on a very, very large beach....so if you're expecting *discovery*, don't hold your breath, it will make you blue.
That's all I'm saying.....but yeah, it is "possible", just like winning the lottery.
 
Right, nothing is more overhyped than youtube hits. Clips of babies falling down get millions of views. A cat falling off a couch into a trash can might get 20 million in one week. Means nothing. The owner of that cat isn't swimming in money and fame.
 
Greg_L said:
Who said that? No one said anything about someone coming along and doing it for you. All I'm saying is that you can flood every social media site you know of with your own stuff. But guess what, so is everyone else. You have to have something going for you in any climate, and everyone thinks they do. The problem is that there is so much shit to wade through and fight against. The internet and technology has not made it easier to get noticed. All it's done is allow every motherfucker on the planet that thinks his shit don't stink to be in easy competition with you. So yeah, it's easy to self promote. Woopdy doo. It's easy for everyone, so the same issues still stand. It still all boils down to just dumb blind luck. In fact it may be even harder now than yesteryear. It used to be that bands sent out demos and press kits and hopefully they could get the attention of one A&R guy or radio DJ. Or maybe they could play a gig and someone with some kind of importance might just happen to be in earshot. Bands used to be in relatively short supply. Gigs meant something. Demos and recordings meant something. Now every motherfucker has a band and records his own shit and plops it all over cyberspace. Bands are so plentiful that bars and clubs now make bands pay to play. How fucking wrong is that? Your odds of success are even longer now. It's cute and idealistic to think that your fate is all in your own hands through hard work and diligence, but no. It aint gonna happen. You still just need a massive helping of dumb blind luck.
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Bands were never in short supply, The music business has always been highly competitive, when did you figure that out? As far as DYI, YOU HAVE TOO. The days of record company advances are over, there is no front money in the business. That goes for everybody. The internet is not the enemy, technology has afforded that anyone can record and produce their own CD, and that has flooded the market. Whether it is harder or not now, I don't know. Too me the fact that anyone can walk onto American Idle means its easier to get noticed, (that doesn't mean it easier to be successful), but years ago it was hard to get in front of anyone important.
 
miroslav said:
.
That's all I'm saying.....but yeah, it is "possible", just like winning the lottery.
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That's all its ever been, just because you "thought" you had better odds when you were 10 years old doesn't mean its true. Be resentful dude, your the one feeling it , not me.
 
PDP said:
Bands were never in short supply,
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Yes they were. Relatively speaking, they were. Do you play live at all? If so, how long have you done it? I remember in my region a time when bars and clubs begged for bands to play. Literally begged. Why? Because there just weren't that many to go around. And I live in the 4th biggest city in the US. But now? There's jillions of bands everywhere. Gear is cheaper and easier to get and any dumb motherfucker can put a band together because they all have dumb pipe dreams of making it big. Why? Because their heads have been filled with foolish naive idealism like they can make their own way through youtube and facebook.

The music business has always been highly competitive, when did you figure that out?
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Lol. What's up with the sarcasm? Are you getting mad because I dare disagree with you?

As far as DYI, YOU HAVE TOO. The days of record company advances are over, there is no front money in the business. That goes for everybody. The internet is not the enemy, technology has afforded that anyone can record and produce their own CD, and that has flooded the market. Whether it is harder or not now, I don't know. Too me the fact that anyone can walk onto American Idle means its easier to get noticed, (that doesn't mean it easier to be successful), but years ago it was hard to get in front of anyone important.
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That you would even bring up a joke like american idol, and that you really think anyone can just walk on the show tells me that we are nowhere near the same page. You really are a naive idealist. Good luck with that bro.
 
Greg_L said:
Yes they were. Relatively speaking, they were. Do you play live at all? If so, how long have you done it? I remember in my region a time when bars and clubs begged for bands to play. Literally begged. Why? Because there just weren't that many to go around. And I live in the 4th biggest city in the US. But now? There's jillions of bands everywhere. Gear is cheaper and easier to get and any dumb motherfucker can put a band together because they all have dumb pipe dreams of making it big. Why? Because their heads have been filled with foolish naive idealism like they can make their own way through youtube and facebook.

Lol. What's up with the sarcasm? Are you getting mad because I dare disagree with you?


That you would even bring up a joke like american idol, and that you really think anyone can just walk on the show tells me that we are nowhere near the same page. You really are a naive idealist. Good luck with that bro.
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If you have such resentment towards the industry, why do it ? Throw in the towel now, its too hard for you!
 
PDP said:
If you have such resentment towards the industry, why do it ? Throw in the towel now, its too hard for you!
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You've got me confused with someone that gives a damn about the same pie-in-the-sky dreams that you do.

I do it for fun. I never had any illusions of financial reward or recognition. That doesn't mean I can't see things for how they really are. Why are you angry about this?

So let me ask you then - If you have "the industry" so figured out, why aren't you big yet? You're still a nobody, right? So, since the world is at your front door with just a click of your mouse and you just can't break through, you just must not be any good. Am I right? I mean, you are flooding the internet with self promotion right? You're making your own noise, right?
 
PDP said:
That's all its ever been, just because you "thought" you had better odds when you were 10 years old doesn't mean its true. Be resentful dude, your the one feeling it , not me.
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Resentful...? :D
No....realistic.
If I was resentful....I would give up, but no, I'm recording more now than ever, and still buying gear and improving my studio every day, because I realize that I do this for ME....not for You Tube or whatever.
Nothing wrong with posting up stuff and trying to promote, and if anything ever comes out of it....great....if not, I will not be "unhappy", which I would be if I was "resentful" now.

You seem to think/imply that the Internet promo/distro model is giving you better odds than what you had when you were 10 years old. That WILL make you resentful one day...unless you too become more realistic.
 
Greg_L said:
So let me ask you then - If you have "the industry" so figured out, why aren't you big yet? You're still a nobody, right? So, since the world is at your front door with just a click of your mouse and you just can't break through, you just must not be any good. Am I right? I mean, you are flooding the internet with self promotion right? You're making your own noise, right?
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Right.
That's the reality I'm talking about.

Nothing wrong with self-promotion.... but lets not get all dreamy, and stargaze about what it WILL do for us. :D


PDP said:
If you have such resentment towards the industry...
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You're actually the one displaying resentment....you don't like the reality being painted, and you resent having it shown to you.
 
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