6.16.2009

Some recording for a friend

I did some recording last Thursday with my friend Jeffrey Fields; he had a couple new songs he wanted to demo, and we got one tune done during the course of the evening. He plays a loose, casual folk or "Americana" style with acoustic guitar and vocals, occasional harmonica, etc.

The session went fairly well, even though I was pretty unorganized; we recorded his vocals and guitar together to get an intimate, live feel - though that made it pretty tough to do any "punches" or re-tracks if we needed to. He nailed a great version after a couple takes, and it sounded quite good.

We then made a few small additions; a subtle tambourine and kick drum during the chorus, a small ride hit on the last chord - and he let me drop in a simple vocal harmony on the chorus as well.

When all was said and done, I think Jeffrey enjoyed the experience and liked the results. And I enjoyed working with someone new. I hope to get together with him again soon to track the other tune. This time around, we may try separate tracking, maybe even a metronome, just to leave options open. But ultimately, it's his project, so we'll do what he wants! ;-)

4.09.2009

A Stupid CD Distribution Tip for Independent Musicians and Bands

I'm a progressive music lover and an independent prog musician, and I know that there are a lot of others like me. So, I figured this is a tip worth sharing with everyone, based on my experience. It might seem like a common sense move, or you might be averse to "partnering with the 800-lb. gorilla of the internet," but I'm here to tell you that I found this to be a worthwhile "sell-out" if you want to call it that.

That's right, I recommend that you sell your CD on Amazon.

On the surface, it kind of sucks, compared to the alternatives. Whereas CDBaby (an AWESOME company, sell your CD there too!) doesn't charge a "service fee" and, for my CD (Din Within's "Awaken the Man", which sells at $12) pays $8 per CD - the "Amazon Advantage" Program, essentially a "consignment" program, charges an annual fee AND only pays $5.40 per CD. But here's the thing, and again, it seems obvious: Amazon gets you out to such a incomparably HUGE audience - and more importantly, GROWS that audience with every sale (a feature that CDBaby can't really match, as much as I love them.)

Amazon's unique technology (Other customers who bought this also bought...) is the big sell here. Even though our album was released almost a year and a half ago (November, 2007) the sales have continued to INCREASE month-to-month, and lately, those increases have been exponential. More and more people are finding my music because other people who previously bought "Awaken the Man" also bought Spocks Beard, or Steve Wilson, or Phideaux, or Marillion, or... you get the idea - and now OUR album is being displayed on THEIR pages as a recommendation for "if you like this, you'll also like..." And people clearly do, because our monthly sales have gone up ten-fold over the last 6 months. And the album is 1 ½ years old!

When I considered signing up for the program, I really debated for some time on whether it would be worth it; in retrospect, I'd do it again in a heartbeat. It seems a little corporate, especially for an "underground" music genre like Prog, but the distribution and legitimacy that it affords my little independent release is more than worth the reduced take we get on each copy.

Just my $.02.

Bonus tip: once your sales are consistently up a little bit, it pays to let them know you have a minimum number you're willing to send as restock. I get Purchase Orders for 1 copy occasionally, and I send a "stock-up request" to up it to a minimum of 10, 20, etc. and they always oblige. It doesn't make sense to pay shipping on one copy when I only get $5.40 per copy through them...

I'd also like to include a shout-out to Kinesis and Syn-Phonic, who are Progressive Rock Music Distributors; both have been extremely supportive by purchasing our CDs wholesale and selling them at the Prog festivals they go to!

1.03.2009

Second Story featured on a Podcast

We got a nice shout-out on a PodCast just recently; Second Story's "Return to Youth" opened the "Adventures of a Walker Dependent Music Fan" Podcast. Check out the show notes here, and visit the PodSafe Network to listen to the show!

Thanks to the show host, Gerry (sp?), for featuring us!