The limits of non performance?

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Mull

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Hi folks. I want to pose a question. I write all of my lyrics,compose all of my music, play all instruments, sing all vocals, do all programming, engineering, mastering and recording. I sincerly believe I write good songs and record decently. I believe these songs have the potential for a decent fan base. Of course, I can't play them live because I have no band, but it's good music none the less (you're welcome to check out the link at the bottom and disagree). I'm a level headed person and realize I probably won't be the next Rick Astley or Milly Vanilla Envelope, but I do think I could sell a decent amount of MP3's, a little merch, and maybe some actual CD's along with gaining a moderate following. I realize that not playing live denies you A LOT of exposure. My question is:

What do you think the maximum amount of success capable is for musicians who do not perform live?

For those who wish to tell me I'm untalented, the link is :
http://www.myspace.com/mullecular
 
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I'm not entirely sure what you'd do . I've always been a part of a band.. but if I were to do a solo project I would definately try and figure out how to convert it into a live preformance.. there is a way to do it.

I kinda find it odd that you're inviting people to say you're "untalented"

I listented to your myspace.. it's some neat stuff but you HAVE to get rid of that nasty effect on your vocals.. I'm sorry but it sounds really bad.. your vocals seem solid enough to keep on their own.

Anyhow what i can picture is you up on stage with your guitar and a drum machine with some of the other tracks programmed in. If you can figure out how to make that work then you're set.
 
Mull said:
What do you think the maximum amount of success capable is for musicians who do not perform live?
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I believe playing live is a very important factor for getting a fan base, because this way you're showing and offering your "product" to the possible buyers, instead of expecting them to come and visit your little music stall buried in the millions of other myspace profiles.

I believe that fans often need a live experience of a band, because it's the ultimate way of impressing them and making them go "Hey dude! have you seen Mullecular play live? OMG they're amazing! Let's see them this weekend!", instead of just listening to your recordings from time to time on your myspace profile.
 
rf1 said:
I believe playing live is a very important factor for getting a fan base, because this way you're showing and offering your "product" to the possible buyers, instead of expecting them to come and visit your little music stall buried in the millions of other myspace profiles.

I believe that fans often need a live experience of a band, because it's the ultimate way of impressing them and making them go "Hey dude! have you seen Mullecular play live? OMG they're amazing! Let's see them this weekend!", instead of just listening to your recordings from time to time on your myspace profile.
Click to expand...

I wasnt really planning on letting people find my myspace. I was going to create a real site and market through BMI, online marketing venues, and hopefully ITunes and Amazon, but yeah I understand that not playing live cuts out a huge piece of exposure.
 
eeb said:
I listented to your myspace.. it's some neat stuff but you HAVE to get rid of that nasty effect on your vocals.. I'm sorry but it sounds really bad.. your vocals seem solid enough to keep on their own.
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Ah, I dont use the effect as a crutch. I like the feel, but vocals are too loud on Rise. Gives it a kind of ghostly feel. I'm kind of influenced by the Type O negative, Deftones vocal feel. EVer listened to them?
 
Itunes, CDBaby and such are n't great marketing tools. You might get some exposure, but generally, YOU have to bring the people to your tunes for them to buy. A few ideas....

Pitch your songs to performing artists, publishers, labels, etc. Let someone else do all the promo and marketing work. You collect the royalties.

Join a songwriting group and start networking. You might find other like-minded people who are interested in pursuing the same goals. Maybe live performances, maybe they have connections, etc...

Write your tunes for a specific audience or market, then advertise to them. I'm doing songs for sailing and drinking and cruising. There's a magazine with a solid readership interested in putting my tunes up on their widely-used internet radio and selling my cd's in their online store. I get out on the sailing forums and interact with the folks there, get ideas for songs and put a link in my signature.

Join Taxi.com and write songs for placement in movies, tv, ads, etc.

peace.
 
Chili said:
Itunes, CDBaby and such are n't great marketing tools. You might get some exposure, but generally, YOU have to bring the people to your tunes for them to buy. A few ideas....

Pitch your songs to performing artists, publishers, labels, etc. Let someone else do all the promo and marketing work. You collect the royalties.

Join a songwriting group and start networking. You might find other like-minded people who are interested in pursuing the same goals. Maybe live performances, maybe they have connections, etc...

Write your tunes for a specific audience or market, then advertise to them. I'm doing songs for sailing and drinking and cruising. There's a magazine with a solid readership interested in putting my tunes up on their widely-used internet radio and selling my cd's in their online store. I get out on the sailing forums and interact with the folks there, get ideas for songs and put a link in my signature.

Join Taxi.com and write songs for placement in movies, tv, ads, etc.

peace.
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Wow Taxi looksincredible. Why isn'tit as widely known as other marketting outlets? It's so cheap. Thanks!
 
Mull said:
Wow Taxi looksincredible. Why isn'tit as widely known as other marketting outlets? It's so cheap. Thanks!
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I thought it was well known. It is competitive, though. I know someone who finally got some cuts after trying for 5 years. But, you learn a lot about your songwriting even if you don't get a cut.

Eventually, I will sign up also.

peace.
 
Really? I thought everyone knew of Taxi. It's in every music magazine I've read.
But Mull, I'm in the same boat as you. I have no band yet I am known from Argentina to the Netherlands due to internet radio stations playing my music. Also, I'm on more than one site for music. I don't really think MySpace will do anything for me. Try joining http://www.acidplanet.com
You don't actually have to have Sony Acid to join. There are tons of musicians on there and they listen and review your songs. Sometimes, you don't want to hear what they are saying but it's very helpful.
 
I find it extremely frustrating at the moment. On my recordings I play three or four stringed instruments, all of which are necessary for my sound.
But, trying to find even one other guitar player in my area who will come out gigging with me is proving impossible.
I've been getting a lot of positive feedback on the work and I'm anxious to get out and play it, but, I feel that if its just me and a guitar singing those songs they will not have the same impact.
:confused::cool:
PLAYING LIVE IS VITAL.

http://www.myspace.com/dennisregan
 
Hi Mull. I'm in a similar situation - playing everything myself.

One day I'd like to play live, with everything tracked and me playing the "main" instrument of each song... Would be a logistical challenge!!

I'm not really stresed about it though, in the end you have ask why you're playing music in the first place - for fans? For yourself? I enjoy playing and writing and recording, and if friends and family are the only ones who hear and enjoy then that's amazing.

http://juddmadden.bandcamp.com/
 
To bad everybody lives so far away. We could start a group... :laughings:

I don't seem to have the problem everyone here is having. Being a solo acoustic guitarist. But, I think you can write arraignments of your songs that would fit in a solo act. Kind of a unplugged type thing.
 
Mull said:
... What do you think the maximum amount of success capable is for musicians who do not perform live?
Click to expand...

The sky is the limit really. PomplamooseMusic don't gig, lip sync or even smile unless they're having fun! They got a Toyota ad last year - probably paid a pretty penny. The best thing is probably to work your ass off so that when an opportunity comes along you'll be ready.

 
One of the all time best selling bands in Finland, Leevi and the Leavings, did only two small gigs in their whole career. Nevertheless, they have 16 studio albums + 12 collections and they are widely regarded as a legend.

Does this answer to your question? :)
 
dintymoore said:
The sky is the limit really. PomplamooseMusic don't gig, lip sync or even smile unless they're having fun! They got a Toyota ad last year - probably paid a pretty penny. The best thing is probably to work your ass off so that when an opportunity comes along you'll be ready.
Click to expand...

I am aware of these guys, but they're not really my style, so I haven't delved in much.

What do they do besides covers for YouTube? How did they actually make enough for a car? (And if they don't tour, what do they need a car for? :D )
 
VomitHatSteve said:
I am aware of these guys, but they're not really my style, so I haven't delved in much.

What do they do besides covers for YouTube? How did they actually make enough for a car? (And if they don't tour, what do they need a car for? :D )
Click to expand...

Since they did the music for a Toyota ad last year they probably have the car thing covered. Now, it might have a "always on" gas pedal but that's another issue. :)

A couple of things I like about that group also, that goes along with what I know, is the almost complete lack of room treatment and the lack of mic windscreen. I sure wish I had high ceilings.

What I question about them is the mastering. If that group lives nextdoor to a major mastering facility and someone at that place is spending hundreds of hours messing with their stuff I wouldn't be surprised. The editing and mastering just sounds too good, too pro compared to the "instruments from the free section of Craigslist" look of the videos, although it's obvious to me that they both are exceptional players.
 
I'm in your shoes too. I'd love to have a band =0 but for now I'm all instruments.

Sopor Aeternus never performs, and she has a pretty big fan base.
 
I would have to concur with all the above. I'm kind of in the same boat but I'm a composer rather than a one-man band. You could still perform live even though you're flying solo. I remember some of the Brit New Wave groups back in the 80's, like OMD, who used to introduce their tape machine (sequencer, synthesizer) to the audience as a band member in all of their live gigs. They even gave him a name and shout outs in his, or its, honor. In other words, make the fact that you are a one man show part of your shtick.

As somebody mentioned before, the way to get exposure in this biz as a do-it-yourselfer is the licensing realm. Here's a site that lists all of the known licensing, publishing, music libraries out there with reveiws from artists just like you on each one of them http://musiclibraryreport.com

There's also useful articles on pitching companies like Taxi, Sonicbids, Broadjam, etc. The moderator of this site insists on users providing evidence of any accusations against any company a user has so that it doesn't just turn into a big bitch session from a bunch of no talent malcontents.

Very useful site.
 
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