Heres another article from my upcoming industry website, i hope itll shed some light on the current climate of the music biz.
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THE TRUTH ABOUT THE GAME –only the wise survive
So here we are at the proverbial fork in the road. One way takes you down the path of a music business industry that has existed for most of the 20th century, backed by powerful mediums such as radio and television. This is where the dreams of being famous and wealthy reside at despite the fact that the vast majority of participants will never get a touch of neither and most that do only get to enjoy it for a fleeting moment. The other way takes you into 21st century where circuit lines crisscross the globe carrying binary code in the form of data packets enabling the earth’s inhabitants to communicate with one another directly sharing the universe’s most valuable commodity. (which is information) This is the home of the new music industry players that view music as content deliverables. Which road will you take is the question. Standing at the fork is NOT an option because you can’t progress without movement. You must choose, and you must choose wisely...even by not choosing you have made a choice. Oh by the way I go by the name of Danny Dee and because so many have sold out the culture by purposely hiding the real, IndependentInsider.com feels it’s only right if I give ya’ll the truth about the game. Vamanos, lets go!
Truth be told if you’re interested in becoming a player in the business you were driven mainly by ego and by the fantasy of what the end results can offer you. It’s this same fantasy that allow many to willingly put themselves in “slave mode” in order to make their otherwise hollow lives mean something by masquerading behind the façade called the music industry. While it’s perfectly fine to have this mind set when your in the position of ignorance due to a lack of understanding, what really goes on, because your still on the outskirts, its quite disturbing. On the other hand to see so many continue to fall for the illusion of the game knowing full well they’re getting played like a Nintendo Wii. You can’t play a game of Monopoly and expect to get real dollars out of someone landing on Reading Railroad. If you want real money you have to get into the REAL game, and brace for the impact because nothing great comes out of something easy. Before you expect a million dollar check you should be able to put down on paper the business justification into why you should receive one. If not then your main objective is to put together a plan on how to build that level of value and then execute. When you reach that level then you can move ahead to your next objective.
If you’re in the business of selling music it would serve your best interest to understand your targeted consumer and their wants and needs and incorporate that into your approach. Most professionals in the business (with any sense in their skulls) will agree that the music fan of 1997 is a completely different beast of nature than that of a 2007 fanatic. Back then you had Hot 97, BET, MTV (106KMEL & CMC for all my baydestrians reading this..I see y’all) and that was it. Your main objective back then was to break through one of the gatekeepers and relentlessly pound the masses with your product in hopes of creating a hype which can translate into a couple million albums sold. Fast forward to present day and what you have is the slow disintegration of the mainstream as the “Tower of Babel” effect is in full swing with everybody is off in their own little worlds doing them. (as instructed by Russell Simmons) In other words, it’s becoming very difficult to gather all the masses attention on one particular focus because of the vast array of choices they have to entertain themselves. Put on top of that a lot of those options come at little to no cost, so if your trying to get someone to part with those dollars you better have something of real value or else your in trouble. I’m not paying $120.00 for courtside seats to watch the Lakers if I can do the same thing Kobe can do with the ball. (apply this to the saying...everybody is a rapper)
One of the hardest things to do is replace the fantasy with reality. This is why you still have people investing 7 figures and up on outdated business approaches because the fantasy of hanging with Diddy and L.A. Reid at the red carpet makes for better cocktail conversation than creating new business systems that embrace online technology. Yawn…how boring does that last part of the previous sentence sound right? Do you want perceived coolness or business success? I don’t know too many people that have money to waste and if they do then more power to them.
Until recently the need to understand the underlying factors were not a pre-requisite for victory; all you needed was a hit record, good looks and a powerful entertainment attorney on your side. Nowadays you can have all of the above and still be in the red with no answers to the problem in front of you due to the fact that you neglected the wants and needs of the 21st century consumer that is going through a programming detox.
I feel pity for those looking for a neat box of steps you can follow when there is no longer a “one size fit all bra” you can wear over your purple smoking henny drinking man-boobs. That way of thinking is a wrap, curtains, over. What works for the Shop Boyz doesn’t work for Amy Winehouse (both on the same label). You have to trail your own path to success but that takes patience and courage to stand up even when everybody else is laying down. Radio and TV is definitely important but is it mandatory? Of course not but you still slave yourself to the “old guard” because it’s safe and it’s what you already know. (some don’t even know this system, they just setup myspace pages & rap over other artists tracks) The Internet is where all the action is going down but you’re unwilling to fully embrace it because you’re still waiting for “bossman” to write the steps out for you to follow. Truth is there are no longer any steps to follow because the Internet is about the user and NOT about you. If you can fit your music into someone else experience then you may have a shot but you have to be patient and sharp with your moves. This is assuming you have the hottest material out on the market and not some cookie-cutter mediocre Sloppy Joe because it’s going straight in their desktop’s trash can.
I can’t tell you what to do (not for free at least) but I do hope to make you think about the moves your going to make because I know how important the game is to you. Make no mistake the entertainment business is a multi-billion dollar machine which plays a very important role in distracting the average citizen from the everyday reality we call Real Life. Why worry about the trillion dollar trade deficit and global warming when I can just Party like a Rock Star right? Once in a while real life and entertainment do cross paths (R.I.P. Stack Bundles & Mac Dre), which makes us pause for about 7 business days before we resume our regular routines. Make no mistake this is our meal ticket out of poverty…one of the few options to rise up outside of the assimilation box. The old paradigm was only the strong survive, well now that’s about as current as a Zach Morris cell phone. The new paradigm is only the wise survive. I know that I ONLY do business and help labels/artists taht have thier biz game tight. It’ll serve everyone well to work on self education and personal development. Hold on to your dreams but make sure you take a realistic approach towards making your fantasy come true. Indie label heads and artists need to see who is making the right moves and hang with them, not only that but improve it and up the ante. Now is the best time ever to be independent, if you can’t see it then you better wipe your stunna shades and begin learning and observing the REAL industry.
-
DANIEL “DANNY DEE” AGUAYO
THE INDEPENDENT INSIDER
_____________________________________________________
THE TRUTH ABOUT THE GAME –only the wise survive
So here we are at the proverbial fork in the road. One way takes you down the path of a music business industry that has existed for most of the 20th century, backed by powerful mediums such as radio and television. This is where the dreams of being famous and wealthy reside at despite the fact that the vast majority of participants will never get a touch of neither and most that do only get to enjoy it for a fleeting moment. The other way takes you into 21st century where circuit lines crisscross the globe carrying binary code in the form of data packets enabling the earth’s inhabitants to communicate with one another directly sharing the universe’s most valuable commodity. (which is information) This is the home of the new music industry players that view music as content deliverables. Which road will you take is the question. Standing at the fork is NOT an option because you can’t progress without movement. You must choose, and you must choose wisely...even by not choosing you have made a choice. Oh by the way I go by the name of Danny Dee and because so many have sold out the culture by purposely hiding the real, IndependentInsider.com feels it’s only right if I give ya’ll the truth about the game. Vamanos, lets go!
Truth be told if you’re interested in becoming a player in the business you were driven mainly by ego and by the fantasy of what the end results can offer you. It’s this same fantasy that allow many to willingly put themselves in “slave mode” in order to make their otherwise hollow lives mean something by masquerading behind the façade called the music industry. While it’s perfectly fine to have this mind set when your in the position of ignorance due to a lack of understanding, what really goes on, because your still on the outskirts, its quite disturbing. On the other hand to see so many continue to fall for the illusion of the game knowing full well they’re getting played like a Nintendo Wii. You can’t play a game of Monopoly and expect to get real dollars out of someone landing on Reading Railroad. If you want real money you have to get into the REAL game, and brace for the impact because nothing great comes out of something easy. Before you expect a million dollar check you should be able to put down on paper the business justification into why you should receive one. If not then your main objective is to put together a plan on how to build that level of value and then execute. When you reach that level then you can move ahead to your next objective.
If you’re in the business of selling music it would serve your best interest to understand your targeted consumer and their wants and needs and incorporate that into your approach. Most professionals in the business (with any sense in their skulls) will agree that the music fan of 1997 is a completely different beast of nature than that of a 2007 fanatic. Back then you had Hot 97, BET, MTV (106KMEL & CMC for all my baydestrians reading this..I see y’all) and that was it. Your main objective back then was to break through one of the gatekeepers and relentlessly pound the masses with your product in hopes of creating a hype which can translate into a couple million albums sold. Fast forward to present day and what you have is the slow disintegration of the mainstream as the “Tower of Babel” effect is in full swing with everybody is off in their own little worlds doing them. (as instructed by Russell Simmons) In other words, it’s becoming very difficult to gather all the masses attention on one particular focus because of the vast array of choices they have to entertain themselves. Put on top of that a lot of those options come at little to no cost, so if your trying to get someone to part with those dollars you better have something of real value or else your in trouble. I’m not paying $120.00 for courtside seats to watch the Lakers if I can do the same thing Kobe can do with the ball. (apply this to the saying...everybody is a rapper)
One of the hardest things to do is replace the fantasy with reality. This is why you still have people investing 7 figures and up on outdated business approaches because the fantasy of hanging with Diddy and L.A. Reid at the red carpet makes for better cocktail conversation than creating new business systems that embrace online technology. Yawn…how boring does that last part of the previous sentence sound right? Do you want perceived coolness or business success? I don’t know too many people that have money to waste and if they do then more power to them.
Until recently the need to understand the underlying factors were not a pre-requisite for victory; all you needed was a hit record, good looks and a powerful entertainment attorney on your side. Nowadays you can have all of the above and still be in the red with no answers to the problem in front of you due to the fact that you neglected the wants and needs of the 21st century consumer that is going through a programming detox.
I feel pity for those looking for a neat box of steps you can follow when there is no longer a “one size fit all bra” you can wear over your purple smoking henny drinking man-boobs. That way of thinking is a wrap, curtains, over. What works for the Shop Boyz doesn’t work for Amy Winehouse (both on the same label). You have to trail your own path to success but that takes patience and courage to stand up even when everybody else is laying down. Radio and TV is definitely important but is it mandatory? Of course not but you still slave yourself to the “old guard” because it’s safe and it’s what you already know. (some don’t even know this system, they just setup myspace pages & rap over other artists tracks) The Internet is where all the action is going down but you’re unwilling to fully embrace it because you’re still waiting for “bossman” to write the steps out for you to follow. Truth is there are no longer any steps to follow because the Internet is about the user and NOT about you. If you can fit your music into someone else experience then you may have a shot but you have to be patient and sharp with your moves. This is assuming you have the hottest material out on the market and not some cookie-cutter mediocre Sloppy Joe because it’s going straight in their desktop’s trash can.
I can’t tell you what to do (not for free at least) but I do hope to make you think about the moves your going to make because I know how important the game is to you. Make no mistake the entertainment business is a multi-billion dollar machine which plays a very important role in distracting the average citizen from the everyday reality we call Real Life. Why worry about the trillion dollar trade deficit and global warming when I can just Party like a Rock Star right? Once in a while real life and entertainment do cross paths (R.I.P. Stack Bundles & Mac Dre), which makes us pause for about 7 business days before we resume our regular routines. Make no mistake this is our meal ticket out of poverty…one of the few options to rise up outside of the assimilation box. The old paradigm was only the strong survive, well now that’s about as current as a Zach Morris cell phone. The new paradigm is only the wise survive. I know that I ONLY do business and help labels/artists taht have thier biz game tight. It’ll serve everyone well to work on self education and personal development. Hold on to your dreams but make sure you take a realistic approach towards making your fantasy come true. Indie label heads and artists need to see who is making the right moves and hang with them, not only that but improve it and up the ante. Now is the best time ever to be independent, if you can’t see it then you better wipe your stunna shades and begin learning and observing the REAL industry.
-
DANIEL “DANNY DEE” AGUAYO
THE INDEPENDENT INSIDER
