Blogs

MUSIC CREATION HAS CHANGED, FAN BEHAVIOR HAS CHANGED, AND THEREFORE, ARTISTS’ NEEDS FOR DIGITAL MUSIC DISTRIBUTION HAVE CHANGED TOO.

The example of a timeline of release for a hit single layout details how motivation and determination played a key role in the success. "We learned that self-releasing artists are creating music way more frequently than ever before and they should." https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/music-creation-has-changed-fan-behavior-has-changed-and-therefore-artists-needs-for-digital-music-distribution-have-changed-too/

Peggy in Tips of the Trade

June 14, 2022

7 of the Biggest Problems with the Music Industry

"Music is a tough business that necessitates an unusual combination of talents and traits. Musicians often have to take on a lot of business-related work and must balance many other responsibilities." https://www.musicianwave.com/biggest-problems-with-the-music-industry/

Peggy in News

June 12, 2022

Why music marketing is so EXHAUSTING these days

Such a well-written and informative article detailing what both established and new artists are up against in marketing their music. Worth a read. "Keeping a frequent presence on various social media platforms is becoming too much for many artists’ mental health, performance, and overall well-being. How did it get to this point?" https://www.hypebot.com/hypebot/2022/06/why-music-marketing-is-so-exhausting-these-days.html

Peggy in News

June 12, 2022

"How To Get On Spotify Playlists"

"What is the right way to get on playlists, what kind of playlists are out there, the differences between them, and what kind of playlists can you get your song on?" https://www.digitalmusicnews.com/2022/06/03/one-submit-spotify-playlists/ #spotify #playlist

Peggy in Tips of the Trade

June 9, 2022

CD Baby Selects Trolley as Payout Partner —

"Streamlining Payments to Its Global Clientele Of 1.2+ Million Recording Artists CD Baby, easily one of the world’s largest music distribution companies, has partnered with customizable payout platform Trolley. " https://www.digitalmusicnews.com/2022/05/16/cd-baby-trolley-payout-partner/

Peggy in News

May 20, 2022

Mediocrity

What is the worst quality of any artist? By this I mean related to the art itself not interpersonal relationships or bad habits. It is not lack of intelligence, artists do not need to be intellectuals. It’s not even being bad. People who are bad usually know it and try to compensate in other ways. The worst problem is mediocrity, the gray area between good and bad. This usually shows first as a lack of taste and discrimination. The dictionary de

Clay Anderson Johnson in Musicianship

April 29, 2022

Outlaws and Criminals

Do you know the difference between an outlaw and a criminal? Most people think they are synonymous and interchangeable but they are often different concepts. Criminals are outlaws in a legal sense but outlaws are not always criminals. Outlaw is often a cultural or artistic construct more than a legal one. Criminals break the law, outlaws are outside it. The word outlaw originated from the term outcast. This is someone who does not conform to the community and are cast

April 22, 2022

Different Worlds

One of the complexities of life is people are similar but different. Everyone lives at the same time both in the world they perceive and the larger world referred to as reality or a commonly accepted form of what really exists. Even that is not the final reality. This is why there is both Religion and Science. Each claim to be the final arbitrator but it is physically impossible for the finite to conceive the infinite. Back to the original subject… My neighbors and I

Clay Anderson Johnson in General

April 16, 2022

opportunity Luck Education Opportunity

I view life as a combination of luck and education combined with opportunity . I will give you a classic example of good luck. I was born into a rural backwater and married a woman who grew up in Beverly Hills whom I met at an online dating site. High odds, not a good match at first sight. My original college education was Theater not Music. Her entire family is composed of artists, writers, and producers. Check the Box √ She has a Gay brother, which is a

Clay Anderson Johnson in Education

April 14, 2022

Good People, Bad People

This is an illustration of Good and Bad people with two different stories. One involves me, the other involves my wife, Adrienne. The stories are based upon actual situations. These are what in literature are referred to as morality stories and are set in a background centered around music. The first story is mine. I once played in a band which included two brothers, one played rhythm guitar, the other drums. The elder was the guitarist. The guitarist was OK, basical

Clay Anderson Johnson in General

April 13, 2022

Helping Others

Everyone usually knows their strengths, but how many recognize their limitations? How many people go anywhere without helping someone else other than themselves? I know my limitations because I have a lot of them. I am not so much a creative person as I am a good problem solver. This is because I was trained to solve problems in one way or another. Usually this was either formal university training or being mentored by a professional who knew what they were doing. I g

April 12, 2022

Branding

Why do people become successful? Science says only 8% of people achieve their goal according to Inc.com. However Woody Allen said 80% of success is just showing up. Putting yourself in the public eye is crucial. I got a tiny part in a very bad Hollywood movie although I am not an actor. I did it for self promotion. A friend told me about an audition for a part which was a musician. I was tall and thin with hair below my shoulders so I looked the part and got the part

April 11, 2022

Blog Writing

What is life? What matters? What is its meaning? These are questions which mankind has pondered for thousands of years. I am fortunate in that I follow a once well known philosophy called Stoicism which answers these questions. Life is temporal and fleeting. It is a moment in time and space to be savored as much as possible as it will never reoccur. It is what you leave behind which matters not what you acquire. What is your legacy? The meaning of Life is Dea

Clay Anderson Johnson in Education

April 10, 2022

Storytelling

How did songwriting begin? Most likely, although no one knows for sure, it was a form of storytelling. People remembering and recounting events to the beat of a drum. The drum was the first instrument. It is still most often MY first instrument when I write because I generally, not always, write based around a Beat. I posted the beginning of Fever Tree, which was only bass and drums, on a New Music Friday. I knew what it was going to sound like when finished although

Clay Anderson Johnson in General

April 9, 2022

Commercial Music

What makes commercial music successful? There are four components to having successful commercial music and an act. These are Melody, Beat, Lyrics, and Performance. Any of them can be the driving force behind a song. You have to have a combination of at least two for success. No matter how good the first three are, a bad Performance will sink the ship unless your goal is to sell the song to someone else. The Performance is major. The song will be played f

April 8, 2022

"Fake artists" on streaming platforms?

"MBW reported on news that has re-sparked the debate around “fake artists” on Spotify Subsequent to publishing that story, an anonymous (and clearly well-informed) MBW reader sent an email that detailed every angle of what’s going on." Today (March 30) MBW published that email in full. As they say "Strap in." https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/an-mbw-reader-just-blew-open-the-spotify-fake-artists-story-heres-what-they-have-to-say/

Peggy in News

March 31, 2022

Chasing The Dream: Coda

Just what you want to be, you will be in the end This is a line from The Moody Blues song Nights In White Satin. The song has charted time and time again for the last 50 years by different artists. This is not about the band or the song. This is about the inherent truth contained in this line. You are what you believe yourself to be. If you believe yourself to be someone you will become that person. You cannot create talent but you can create opportunity.

March 30, 2022

Chasing The Dream: Part Three

THE MUSIC BUSINESS Professional Music Is A Business. If you do not wish your Music to involve dealing with money then why would you ever choose this as a career move? Pablo Picasso was a great artist. He was also a great businessman. So was Salvador Dali. Business and art have lain side by side since the beginning of civilization. Michelangelo didn't paint the Sistine Chapel because of a burning desire to be creative. This was a job. Ludwig vo