Indie Production - Radio Play?

  • Thread starter Thread starter misterx
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Looks like the road to indie cd marketing sucks. Oh well, I'm going for it anyway. I'm well off, can afford to market the hell out of myself all over the internet. Too old to tour, I'll do some local gigs, but for now I guess I'll just play the "ego" route and do it all myself and see what happens. Jeesh, the music industry sucks. :)
 
Antitrust, Congress????

I would certainly like some proof of those statements becuase if you do not have proof those are some pretty outrageous and frankly, ridiculous things to say. However, if you do have proof, I would like to see what it is. I would be skeptical at best but I would keep an open mind. I have recently become deeply involved in the music business and as far as I can see, there is not much of that going on.
 
http://www.musicianslobby.com/clearchannel.htm

Here is a link regarding the position of clear channel communications which dominates the radio market.

Jack there is not much of what going on?

Payola??? Get informed brutha.......It costs 100k to get a rotation slot in each of the 4 major markets....n-s-w-e.....or 2k per station for an add (not guaranteed rotation just an add)

Finally, I am going to make a statement that everyone in this post should try to understand::

Radio is not in the business of music, Radio is in the advertisement business.......music is the vehicle used to gain listeners in order to attract more advertisers......Radio pays to play music the don't get paid to play music......


Please do not argue this point with me..... I do not mean to be cocky but have been through this a million and half times so I speak from experience not out my ass......
 
It's not only radio either. I remember when you couldn't get booked at any of the good L.A. clubs without grease. Sometimes money, sometimes coke.
Clear Channel is a truly evil corporation, one that would make the Mafia proud.
 
Gec - bullseye. Your point about radiostations not being in the music business was on the money, so to speak, and perfectly stated.

RD
 
A friend of mine who is a publisher told me there are three guys who basically weild influence over all the stations and that they get paid by record companies for favors. You go to one of these guys with enough cash and you too can be on the radio.

Hey, it might be BS, but it might NOT be. There are other factors, like independent promo men. Record companies hire them when they want to break a record or push a record up from the top 20 to the top 5. Now this I can back up because I have seen it done. I had a song that was guaranteed by a major label to be a top 5 hit--before it was ever released. It hit #1 in Cashbox and #2 in Billboard. Both the record company and the publisher paid promo men to push it legally. Without that push, I probably would have had a top 30 song if I was lucky.

It definitely costs money to get airplay, one way or another. Is this a great country or what?

Speaking of Austrailia, I once got a royalty payment from there. It was for a song I demoed and it was never even recorded by anybody. My publisher sent it over there as part of some songwriting program or something I guess. So maybe it is easier to get play down under...
 
heh commercial radio stations only play commercials. . . it's just that some of the commercials are songs :)

but there is a glimmer of hope. Indies don't have the huge cash burn that majors have so they can actually make more money selling less CD's . Then the key is playing gigs like crazy. . . some times two a day and writing good material that people would want to buy.

heaven forbid the music business be hard :)
 
t h i s i s g h e y . . .

reading all this thread completly turned me off about trying my best to make a good CD. :\

You talk like even if you record a great CD, there's no way to make profit out of it... shocking.

When I read all this... it's like if you weren't listening to the same music as I do on TV and sometimes radio... I live in Montreal btw.

I mean... Nickelback - Too Bad, is that a worldwide hit? or just a mega hit where I live? I'm confused.

What songs do you refer to as the hits playing on big american radio stations?

For me, if you compose and record something like "How you remind me", and you have an entire CD with a couple of other great songs on it, it's just a matter of time before you get success.... no? You seem to say that Nickelback got lucky and that there's alot of songs like "How you remind me" by other bands just waiting to get picked.... that right?
 
When I started out, you got signed in LA or NYC. Period. You got signed by a "major" or you went nowhere. I interviewed/auditioned at Atlantic, Polygram, Buhda, Electra, Capitol, all the majors - in LA and NYC. The A & R midset at the time was "He's another Tom Rush", or Jackson Browne, etc. They weren't looking for anything different, just more of the (successful) same. AND, they were the Only Game In Town!
Now, you have artists being picked up from indie labels who never would have been heard 30 years ago. You have people producing, recording and selling their own product on the net. Access to the technology has given birth to a whole new generation of artists not enslaved by the greedy bastards at the majors. Have faith, man. Things are changing, and I think, for the better.
As Martha would say "It's a good thing!":cool:

Bob
 
Shakuan - Don't get discouraged by all of this gloom and doom talk, it is still possible to make a living being an independent artist. You just have to realise that not only do you have to be a musician, but also a business man. It's very hard work, but you can really keep your artistic vision clear.

________________
Post indie electronic
Meriphew
www.meriphew.com
 
IMO

this is just my opinion but regarding the nickelback statement. . .

I feel that the success of nickelback perfectly describes the sad state of the music industry. Honestly they arn't very talented as demonstraited by the one song I've constantly heard . . . the one where it seems like the entire chorus is the backups singing "Yeah, Yeah, Yeah." That song is just pathetic compaired to hundreds of other indies that don't have the money or the knowledge to buy airplay.

Pop music is "feeding the mob". . . it's easier to throw crap out in the hopes of statisitcs selling records (lets say 1 out of 100 impressions is a buy) and when you deal with millions of people the mob will buy enough to make it look like a hit. then mob rule comes into effect "oh they sold $500,000 CD's and get airplay they must be good because everyone else is buying their CD" . . . Then they fool themselves into thinking the band is good because the DO have airplay and sell a lot of records at $20. . . I mean you wouldn't buy a crappy CD for $20 would you? so it HAS to be good.

peace
sam
zekthedeadcow@hotmail.com
http://www.Track100.com
 
I know that Nickelback aren't extremely good cause I saw them live on TV and it wasn't that great. I mean, I was thinking they would be better just by listenning to their CD. But studio recording doesn't reveal the real talent as live performers.

But still! Nickelback - "Too bad" Makes me dance and yell the hell out of me, it's a great song. You're saying there are alot of other ppl with hit songs that don't have the money or opportunity to get recognition for their work. Can I have exemples? I would like to find an unknown group with their unknown song that would make me groove like that... Chad Kroeger has a good voice on the record too imo.

Btw I can't say I like Nickelback for real... I listenned to all their songs or so and only 3 of 'em were nice to me. "Too bad - Fly - How you remind me"

As anyone ever heard of Finger Eleven? Is that considered an underground group or...? Cause I never saw them on TV but their 2 albums are in my top5 for sure.

anyway... :)
 
yeah, I probably should put some names up for the record ... Working primarily with christian hardcore indies I will say

Staple - they are some of my friends so I guess I'm biased :) very well thought out lyrics and they're amish hardcore!. . . ok so minonite. . . They arn't exactly looking for a label though. . . http://www.staplemusic.com

Still Breathing - Reciently signed to Tooth & Nail Records . . .and ohmygod hardcore with the growling and stuff with a female vocalist. saw them in concert and she was increadible. Too bad Tooth & Nail is focusing a lot of attention on a band made up of artists from some of their big names titled Demon Hunter and it absolutly sucks. . . their staffers are still running around to message boards hyping the band. . . ugh. . .

Gnashing of Teeth - another great indie hardcore group

. . . heh a lot of bands just broke up so I'm trying to remember who's still left :)

then of course there was my old band called BattleSound. most technical christian indie group in the region. too technical and fast to mosh to so people just staired in wonderment :) . . .but thats what you get when you practice as a group for at least 20 hours a week. . . odd how the singer basically had a nervous breakdown. . .

and there is a ska band called Eleven87 . . . if they ever find a fast enough drummer

------------------------------------------------
of course being indie. . . it's better to hear those bands live than listen to the CD :)

peace
sam
zekthedeadcow@hotmail.com
http://www.track100.com
 
We have one radio station here pretty much run by Volunteer Music lovers. commercial free etc. etc. etc. all that good stuff.

Anyways they have shows dedicated only to playing and interviewing local musicians from the local scene, you send them in a demo and chances are it will get played every once in a while.

anyone else have anything like that near them? It would be worth looking into those stations.
 
Axis, of course it would be worth looking into....Any exposure to your music can only benefit you........They may not broadcast to the size of audience a major would....but if you can reach just a few.....................


word of mouth has always been the best advertisement....I'll take a fan any way I can weather its from radio or not
 
hey,.....! that payola does exist!

a year ago me and my boys went to a top radio station up here(Boston,Ma.)and the dj laughed in our face and said "what's in it for me?.........ya know,you greedy fuck ...you get a paycheck doing what you love and a little fame ,that's what's in it for you!!!!
Anyway we asked him what he meant and he said "well me and my 3 friends(also dj's)are lookin' for seson tickets to the Red Sox
AND the Celtics"!!Do you have any idea as to how hard they are to get and the cost of them!Payola absolutely exists.........in all forms!!!!!!!!!


...........................one....................
 
got the perfect solution...........I got 4 mics and $25..........who wants to chip in on starting our own radio station?
 
I agree that it can look a bit bleak, but it is not impossible to get your stuff played on radio. Okay...maybe not the biggest stations in major markets, but you can still find play if you work at it.

Indie recording? Then look for Indie type stations and college stations. My old band got play on a few smaller stations here in Portland by hard work and researching to make some connections. It is time consuming though.

Here in Portland it is a common gripe that the big radio stations never give the locals a chance. Hell, I think we were the last major market to play Everclear and they are from Portland. The Dandy Warhols have chart toppers over in Europe and get some play around the US, but not here :rolleyes: But, recently we had a band signed to a major label because they got in good with the PD and one of the disk jockeys at a big station in town. People liked the tune and soon after another one followed until they were in pretty heavy rotation. Labels monitor big radio markets and Capitol picked them up. In their instance I think having a great product had a huge impact. They had bucks and traveled up to Seattle and paid an engineer who worked with Alice In Chains to produce the album. It sounded VERY professional. We have another band that is currently getting some play on one of the big three rock stations we have, but they haven't been signed yet...appearently that came around when a DJ heard the bands CD at his buddies house and thought they kicked butt so he used their songs as intro's into his show and he played two of their tracks during his timeslot. However, the PD ultimately has control, not the DJ so you have to get two levels of people to give it the okay. On indie stations usually just the DJ picks the music.

Does your product sound like it should be on the shelves with major releases? If not then don't expect many stations to pay it much attention. Indie stations will give you more of a chance, but don't just blindly send it in. Listen to the station, pick a DJ that spins tunes that are up your alley. Give him a call and talk to him about your band....

Lastly in my overly wordy post is that you can try to get stations (even the big ones) to pay some attention to the local scene. Off and on we have the second or third biggest station here do a "locals only" show. It used to be Wednesday's at midnight and lasted for 15 minutes (gotta love that time slot, LOL) and they would play local stuff. One of the things that was so clearly obvious when listening to that is how the majority of local bands had really bad recording quality, which could possibly be why they are reluctant to play them in the first place. Call your local PD and suggest such a show stressing how it would really draw listeners from the local scene. I know a lot of people that would stay up, or even tape that locals show they did here.

My ....oh heck....that's got to be at least four cents worth :D
 
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