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john

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Blog Entries posted by john

  2. john
    Nielsen Soundscan  have been examining the changing listening trends within the world of radio.  They’ve been looking at the impact of shifting habits and cyclical trends. When trends appearing in the data are combined with Nielsen’s February Portable People Meter (PPM) ratings, Nielsen have been able to assess  cycles and changes in the data over a significant period of time.
     
    Nielsen have been comparing eight years of monthly data sets. Essentially, they have been using the same formats and demographics since late 2010, which is when they completed the rollout of PPM, enabling the electronic measurement for radio.
     
    The 8 year trends are useful, but It gets really interesting when you look at the audience share for the top 10 most popular formats for millennials since February 2017, until February 2018. Pop Contemporary Hit Radio (CHR) still remains the top format, but over the last year tune-in to CHR has declined by nearly a full share point. Urban Contemporary and Hot AC and  are also down, year-over-year. AC, Alternative and Classic Hits are all significantly up.
     
    Excerpts from the report
  3. john
    "Bodak Yellow" rapper Cardi B accepted the best new artist 2018 award at the iHeartRadio Awards. She says that her album will be released soon:
     
    “My album will be coming in April, stay tuned mother fuckers!”
     
    Cardi has been dangling the album carrot for a while now. Last fall she claimed that her album would be out in November, but now she seems to be certain of it's release next month.
     
    During her acceptance the Bronx star gave a shout out to her music fans... and also made mention of the haters of her music, saying:
     
    “They be downloading my stuff so they can hear it and talk bad about it,” Cardi said, "but it benefits me!”
     
    Very generous of her!
     
    Cardi kicked off the show with a fiesty performance of “Bodak Yellow” and “Bartier Cardi,” with her features on G-Eazy’s “No Limit” (joined by the  rapper), Migos’ “Motorsport” and the Bruno Mars’ “Finesse” remix.
     
    Taking her own songs and all of her collaborations together, Cardi is the first woman to have 5 top 10 hits on the Hot R&B / Hip-Hop Songs chart at the same time. With a full album one month away from the shops, expect to be hearing much more about Cardi.
     
    Source Billboard
  4. john

    Making An Impact

    By john,

    What I write here is mainly for artists, but much of it can be applied to songwriters.... although generally scaled down a little.
     
    As an indie, this is perhaps one of the most fundamental questions.
     
    Realistically there are some major constraints in place:
     
    Lack of budget Poor contacts Poor tools, or awareness of their need Poor knowledge Poor use of actual assets (sometimes even knowing what is an asset and what is not) No team  
    The sad truth is, that the lower your budget, the more you rely upon contacts, tools, knowledge, good use of assets and a good team.
     
    The fact that many don't have good contacts, tools, knowledge etc. is not a reason to continue to do nothing. It should be the alarm call that slaps you about the face and pushes you work hard and work smart, every single day.
     
    There are other ingredients such as creativity. Weirdly, for what is a creative industry, many indies fail to unleash their creativity to overcome the obstacles in front of them.
     
    In Indie-land, there is no magical success fairy. No one will swoop in, wave a wand and solve all your problems. Frustratingly, it appears that many artists are happy to wait for such a fairy. They only realise the fairy isn’t going to arrive when years have passed, they are playing similar gigs to years before and still few people know they exist.
     
    As a side point, perhaps modern artists are content putting in minimal or convenient effort to ultimately achieve poor results? Perhaps they like to have excuses to hide behind because when it comes down to it, they think that if they don’t really take part, they can’t really fail? If they do go all in, and still fail, that must surely be the fault of the music? Wrong! It could be... but there are a multitude of great bands that never got the recognition that they deserve.
     
    As an indie, The buck stops with you. There is no hiding behind “we have no money” or “we didn’t get the opportunities”.
     
    Moving Forwards
     
    Resolve to learn what you need to. Stop waiting for something that isn’t going to happen. If anything is going to happen, it is going to be because:
     
    YOU MADE IT HAPPEN.
     
    It isn’t enough to have one bit of a general music biz artist plan in place. You need to cover all bases. You need skills you currently don’t have. They will cover areas that you have no experience of. You will be faced with the dilemma of doing it yourself, or farming it out to others. If you do farm it out to others, you will then face the dilemma of finding money to pay people, or finding a creative way to get people to help you for free (or near free).
     
    If there is one thing you take away from this blog post it is this:
     
    if if you want success, you will not get it working alone.
     
    You will need to build a team You will need to collaborate with other artists on promotion activities  
    Most artists don’t have number 1 and often struggle to see a need for it. Yet, it is absolutely essential.
     
    As for number 2:, most don’t connect that reaching fans is all about harnessing the power of other people... and collaborating with other artists is a fantastic way to expand your reach, and to help your band stand head and shoulders above the throng.
     
    If you build a core team to handle the business of music, you can effectively multiply your reach by 5 times. If you add a street team to help spread your promotion activity you can multiply it by a further 15 - 20 times. If you train your team in social media, each member of your team can be getting your message in front of 1000 people, very easily. There is nothing stopping them reaching far higher numbers. On Twitter alone it is not unheard of for individuals to be followed by 20k, 50k, 100k people.True, most are below 500.... but that is why you train your team.  
    This is just your team. If you collaborate with other like-minded artists you can be adding several other similar teams. Yes there will be some overlap, but that is expected.
     
    If you are prepared, and coordinated, working to a plan, even what you do as an individual can become much, much, much more effective than the general ad hock methods most indies use.
     
    If you spread this wo your immediate team, and to the artists you collaborate with, collectively you will all be more effective.
     
    By building your team, and helping others build their’s you increase your overall reach, the number of people you can put your music in front of. By growing your team effectively, you can go from an immediate reach of 100 - 500, to having an effective reach of 250,000.  By growing teams in the right way, the people you can reach are also reasonably matched to your type of music. i.e. They are not just the general public. They are the right audience. Importantly, they are not immediate family and friends!  
    Making An Impact
     
    To truly have an impact, you need more than talking to a lot of people. More than talking to a lot of the right people.. You need to get the right message in front of the right people at the right time. You need to say the right things.
     
    It sounds so simple, because largely, it is. You need to know your resources, know how to grow them, and know how to make the most of them.
     
    It is no secret. Artists are being drowned by a throng of wannabes. You know the ones. The ones who haven’t worked a day to learn how to sing or dance, but feel entitled to being discovered as the next big thing. Talent show fodder. Some are no doubt talented. Most are not.
     
    The trouble is, they are drowning out the artists who are working for it. The sucker punch is that the throng of wannabes are just as good if not better than most artists when it comes to self promotion.
     
    You need to stand out, above the throng.
     
    Many more artists are learning to work better than they were. They are leaving the artists who don’t learn behind them. Dots in a rear view mirror.
     
    You need stand out, above other artists.
     
    To do that takes hard work, yes, but you need to work smarter, and harder.
     
    Luckily you come to Songstuff for your information and support.
     
    More to come...
     
     
     
     
  5. john

    Planning (Part 1)

    By john,

    Oh crap, I used the "P" word!
     
    Before you all run away I'll say this... It's not an abstract piece of officialdom intended to cramp your style. It's not a bit of business intent to suck your creative soul.
     
    It's not even a necessary evil.
     
    It's simply fundamental.
     
    Marketing your music requires a lot of different tasks, using a lot of different resources, on a lot of different platforms. More to the point it needs them all to be coordinated.
     
    Oh double crap! Now I've use the "C" word. No not that one, another one.
     
    I can't count the number of musicians and bands I see, who are looking for an easy solution. You know, that "off the shelf" answer to all their problems that will allow them to focus on their music while it becomes successful without them getting their hands dirty, without it costing too much, being too inconvenient or seeming too much like, you know? Work.
     
    They get a few solutions for specific problems, try them for a week or two and when they yield poor results they get tossed ion the trash while the musician carries on looking for magic beans.
     
    The truth is, the power in each individual strategy really lies in how it works with other strategies. Each works, dovetails with others, connects with others, to become something more than the sum of the parts. They amplify each other, support each other.
     
    Planning allows marketing to flow. Resources are planned for, so they are ready when needed, not hurriedly put together in the hope they fill a need. The need for resources does not foul the flow of the tasks. They do not interrupt optimum timing. The language used exactly fits the need for what needed to be said at that moment, not "whatever I could think of, I dunno, my mind kind'a went blank" .
     
    There is a lot to be said for being prepared.
     
    Imagine your elevator pitch. You meet a record exec/tv producer/music star who could change your life, in an elevator. You have 10 seconds to pitch your music/band.
     
    One version of you has a demo recording in their pocket, including an Electronic Press Kit, and a pre-prepared, authentic pitch that sums up what you are all about, in a way designed to impress.
     
    The other version of you has no demo, just "I can't believe I met you, I have a demo, can I send it to you?" They have no press kit, just "Can I write down my details for you. Do you have a pen and paper?" As for a pitch? Are you kidding the elevator door has already opened and they are walking away.
     
    Music marketing is like that all over. Stuff is meant to work together. Each thing has a "right time" and everything else is the "wrong time"
     
    So you decide to drive people to your website from your twitter feed. You want to recruit fans. You post a song link, for a song on your site. That should do it. Wait I have 500 people on my list, I only got 4 plays! What do you mean who pressed play? How am I meant to know?
     
    There is so much wrong with that scenario. Perhaps you recognise it? Because I see it almost every day.
     
    Part 2 to follow
  6. john
    Jigsaw Sequence

     
     
    Jigsaw Sequence is a singer/songwriter who lives and works in Glasgow, Scotland. Never happier than when tinkering with his latest piece of audio gear, Jigsaw Sequence has decided to share his music with the world.
     
    Jigsaw Sequence has released his debut single, "Heroes". It is available on most music platforms. Read our interview with Jigsaw Sequence, and find out a little about the background to recording and releasing the single!
    Read More About Jigsaw Sequence
  7. john
    Well a while ago I shelved plans for an album due to life getting in the road... but here I am back again, in the early stages of planning an EP and an album with accompanying singles.
     
    For now I have a provisional timescale, with the plan to release the single in October, followed by an EP in November. Hopefully then I will release singles and an album to follow in April / May. The tracks are mostly written for both EP and album and recording has begun. Tracks are being selected for EP and album as we speak, though at this point the track allocation is quite fluid.
     
    The good thing is that there are loads of tracks to choose from. I have enough written for several albums, and with new tracks being written all the time. I've also re-worked a few older tracks recently, so I may include some of those.
     
    I'm looking forward to this!
  8. john
    Achazia
    Achazia (real name, Gry) is from Oslo, Norway. She is an artist, composer and ethereal musician.
     
    As a gamer, Achazia is fascinated by how music can help you to immerse in games. She has some of her music in multiplayer and mobile games.
     
    Achazia currently has a song, "Empress of Vincenza" placed with fantasy radio station Radio Rivendell. The song is part of a project/compilation called Book of Ages with other composers.
     
    Click through and support!
     
    Achazia on SoundCloud
    Achazia on Songstuff
  9. john

    PRS and Soundcloud Agreement

    By john,

    Last year PRS decided to begin legal proceedings against Soundcloud, after 5 years of negotiations failed to produce an agreement regarding licensing.

    The agreement covers the use of repertoire controlled by PRS for Music since the service launched. It is an important step to towards a level playing field for the licensing of online services in a way that songwriters, composers and their music publishers can be paid properly for the use of their music online. Soundcloud will start reporting the usage of copyright controlled materials, although initiailly accuracy will be an issue, until thre reporting tools and process evolve.
    This could be an important step towards a fully functioning online marketplace for songwriters.
  10. john
    YouTube have confirmed that the launch of their new subscription service is very close, but at the same time they are in the process of removing some of the biggest indie label acts.

    YouTube and several indie labels have failed to agree on the royalty terms covering the new YouTube subscription service. These terms are in addition to the terms already covering its free service.

    Here we go. Again.

    The payment dispute between YouTube and indie labels is threatening acts like Adele and Arctic Monkeys, who may now find their music pulled from the service. Such indie label acts account for approximately 10% of all the music that YouTube has permissions to feature. However, their music is now likely to be withdrawn by YouTube from the world’s largest video service, as YouTube has been unable to reach an agreement with Beggars Banquet and several other leading independent labels. Details of the proposed license are at this time not known. Perhaps the indie labels are being unreasonable, however, we have been here before with YouTube.

    YouTube executives claim that they cannot continue to offer music as a part of their free service without it also being made available on their new paid service as this would "disappoint" its subscribers. Hmmmm, really?

    Arguably, users will be more disappointed that the music of these indie artists will not be available on the service at all and if they suspect that YouTube has unnecessarily withdrawn music from many indie artists, denying their fans the opportunity of enjoying their music on the YouTube platform, believing that they are showing contempt for both music fans and for artists, in a highly cynical, self-serving, negotiating tactic.

    Such a bullish approach by YouTube is hardly a new negotiating tactic. This isn't the first time that YouTube has removed acts due to a payment dispute. UK YouTube users may well remember the last large scale dispute where a large amount of YouTube content was withdrawn from broadcast within the UK. At the time Google had recently acquired YouTube. Accusations of manipulating public opinion abounded as search results appeared to be dominated by content condemning the position taken by PRS, the UK based PRO, in a dispute over license payments.

    Some privately say that YouTube (Google) are using their size and domination of the online video and internet search markets to unfair advantage, yet again, by bullying the music business and intimidating artists, labels, publishers and writers into accepting exceptionally low levels of payment, by YouTube(Google), for permission being granted to YouTube(Google) to use their content within their products and services.

    YouTube will not yet give a date for the subscription service launch, and they are currently testing the service internally. No doubt such testing is carried out within the terms of usage allowed by their current license.

    “We’re adding subscription-based features for music on YouTube to bring our music partners new revenue streams in addition to the hundreds of millions of dollars YouTube already generates for them each year,” stated a YouTube spokesperson. Of course, they neglected to mention how much streaming such content had made for YouTube and Google over the same time period. They also left us to wonder at the levels of earnings that might have been enjoyed by writers and artists had their service not existed and listeners had had to find their music elsewhere.

    While, on one level, the music industry is looking forward to there being more platforms in the streaming market place, the industry remains nervous about ceding even more control to the already highly dominant Google. Google’s track record, regarding respecting the rights of content owners, isn't exactly fantastic. In fact it is pretty poor. Terrible even. YouTube claims that it has paid more than $1 billion out to rights-holders in the "last several years.", however many in indie music have long complained of unfair treatment at the hands of YouTube. This is especially true when compared with other digital services.

    In an interview with Billboard, Rich Bengloff, president of the independent label trade association A2IM, said that "We are treated equitably and fairly by Rdio, Spotify and Rhapsody, and about 20 services, but obviously not YouTube,". He also stated "I filed a complaint with the FTC last week.”

    Going by past actions, YouTube and Google are highly unlikely to change their approach. From a music business perspective, there is little incentive to do so as long as PROs, labels, publishers, artists and writers continue to lie down and let themselves be walked all over.

    A new, competing service is due to be launched by Amazon. Amazon's Prime Music service launches yet another major new player into the music streaming service business. While competition might improve the market overall, YouTube (Google) are bound to feel secure in their position, feeling that they can do whatever they want, for as long as their service dominates the marketplace to the extent it does, which of course it is highly likely it will, just as long as Google dominates search engine wars to the extent it does, leaving Google in complete control of their search results.
  11. john
    * Brand New Opportunity *

    Not to be missed!

    Are you interested in free publicity as a lyricist, songwriter or band?

    Rack up 10 genuine posts on our forums (not one liners!) each week and you can submit a maximum of one picture, the lyrics for one song, one song recording and one video, to be considered by our site crew. Each member of our site crew can then select their favourites from your submissions on a weekly basis! Those selected will be featured on Songstuff, in our newsletters and on our various music portals (Facebook, Twitter, Google+, YouTube, SoundCloud etc)

    For lyrics, recordings or videos, go here:

    http://forums.songstuff.com/topic/34432-get-your-music-or-lyrics-featured-on-songstuff/

    For press or publicity pics, go here:

    http://forums.songstuff.com/topic/34431-post-your-press-and-publicity-pics/
  12. john
    It's been all over the music press for a while now, will she, won't she. This includes a live appearance on stage in London to play the group's hit, "Don't Stop".

    Well, now it's official. Christine McVie is back with Fleetwood Mac. Liz Rosenberg, the band's publicist, confirmed that McVie has rejoined the band she left almost 16 years ago in 1998.

    According to Rosenberg, Christine McVie "has indeed re-joined Fleetwood Mac and we are hoping to make an announcement about a possible tour for the full tilt Macsters some time in 2014."



    After marrying the group's bass player, John McVie, and joining the band in 1970, McVie became one of the main songwriters with the band, and played with the group for 28 years, as a singer and keyboard player.

    McVie wrote some of the band's biggest chart hits, including:

    "Say You Love Me" (1976)
    "Don't Stop" (1977)
    "You Make Loving Fun" (1977)
    "Hold Me" (1982)
    "Little Lies" (1987)
    "Everywhere" (1988).

    Fans of Fleetwood Mac will now, no doubt, be hoping for a new album from the band lineup that brought us the massive album, "Rumours". The expectation of what singer/songwriters Stevie Nicks, Christine McVie and Lindsey Buckingham, might produce, must be incredible. No pressure! As a songwriting team, the three were the main song writers on a total of 5 studio albums for Fleetwood Mac:

    "Fleetwood Mac" (1975)
    "Rumours" (1977)
    "Tusk" (1979)
    "Mirage" (1982)
    "Tango In the Night" (1987).

    After an open discussion across the media between the band members, the return of McVie isn't exactly a surprise. The more cynical among you will no doubt be suspecting a carefully crafted piece of buzz generating, free publicity. A good lesson in getting free publicity for any singer / songwriter / band out there.

    For all their musical brilliance over the years the personal lives of the band has been full of headline getting controversy. The free publicity generated may have rubbed salt in the wounds, but at the same time I suspect the resulting publicity hasn't exactly harmed record sales.

    Nonetheless, for fans, this reunion is, most likely, very welcome news.
  13. john

    Lyrical Motivation

    By john,

    I am churning out music I am happy with, a lot quicker than I am currently managing to produce lyrics. It's not a wuestion of ideas, it's motivation.

    I thinked I've sussed out what's wrong (again). Motivation. (still) I just don't spend enough time writing.

    When I sit down with an instrument I can simply express myself. My inner feelings are given a voice and it's good just to let that out.

    With lyrics, I tend to put a lot of myself into them. They are about me, my life, or something that has touched my life. As a younger writer I would be just as happy to write about other people's lives or abstract situations.

    The fact that I now write about something personal means that every lyric means raking over coals, open up wounds etc, making the whole thing a far less pleasing experience. It does also give me a somewhat more limited subject matter.

    Maybe it's about time I was a bit less inward looking. Not give it up, more re-engage in writing from different perspectives at the same time.

    I now have a huge backlog of tunes with part written lyrics. Time I knuckled down!
  14. john
    I'm looking for some help from Songstuffers, for a fellow Songstuffer (not me).

    Many of you will know Finn Arild as a member here, and as one of the Songstuff admins. For the last two years Finn has been working hard on his second album and it was released just before Christmas. i couldn't have been happier for him. He's not made a song and dance about it in any way (coughs at the play on words). He's not asked for any special promotion as a member of the site or the staff.

    Well, I was greatly saddened to here that even without a big promotion to raise awareness of the album, it has already been ripped and placed on illegal download sites:

    Read about it in Finn's blog

    Sad really. He works hard at a job to earn the money to put it together and release it, he spends countless hours honing it, recording mixing and production... and then this. Just when he was getting some press attention and radio airplay. This is the other side of the illegal downloads market. It's not about the big acts and the big labels, it is very much about the little guy because the track rippers just don't care who you are.

    It pissed me off.

    So... unprompted by Finn (and I hope he is not annoyed) I wanted to ask you, members of Songstuff, readers of Songstuff, lurkers and occasional visitors.... can you do something for Finn? I'm not asking you to go and buy it (but in case you do here is the link to buy Testament, if you like progressive rock I think you'll love it. it's very well written and performed).

    What I am asking you to do is help spread the word. Can you post about it on your FB page? Your Twitter? Myspace? Forums?

    A big ask I know, but Finn helps make Songstuff possible, and he didn't deserve this. You guys can make a difference. Seriously.
    Finn, I'm sorry if my doing this causes any upset. People really  shouldn't piss me off.

  15. john

    First Blog Entry

    By john,

    Ah there always has to be a first and this is it.

    I'll be talking on all things musical in this blog, looking at the industry, discussing ideas and concepts, picking at new tech, and examining trends. It will be interesting for me to do and hopefully it will be interesting for you to read!

    With so much happening in the industry and with so many new items of gear and music tech coming along there will be plenty to write about, then of course there is the star acts who I will no doubt have an opinion on.

    I'll keep this short as I am only really going "Tadddah!" to let you know what the blog is about. After all I am known for write briefly on any topic. *coughs*
  16. john
    The NAB Show is coming up April 9‐14, 2011 in Las Vegas – it's the essential destination for professionals who share a passion for bringing content to life on any platform.

    Want to go? We have a code that will get you in for FREE! Just register for the NAB Show here with the code SM05 for FREE ACCESS to the exhibit floor, the Opening Keynote and State of the Industry Address, Info Sessions, Content Theater, Exhibits and PITS - $150 in value!
  17. john
    In addition to this blog, which will be more focused on my own writings and my experience in creating my own works, I have created a new blog which will focus on Songwriting and Music in general. It will cover music and lyrics writing, and the combined creative process of creating a song, music technology, music production and the business aspects of the music industry:

    John Moxey On Songwriting and Music

    To start with I will be adding articles on topics of interest to songwriters and musicians, and I will be going through my own bookshelf pulling out books of note and, offering comments and suggestions.

    As ever your comments are welcome!

    Please subscribe to the blog and share it with your musical friends!
  19. john
    First online on 29th November 2000, the first 10 years has flown by.

    It's a decade that has seen massive changes in the music industry with the rise in music downloads and a global recession. It's also been a decade that's been one of the most innovative regarding changes in the way artists engage with fans, with the way music is marketed and sold, and lets not forget within the music itself. Not only that but music has become a far more interactive, multimedia experience. Music videos are now an essential element of viral marketing, social media is a contentious but dominant fact of everyday life with fans interacting with each other and with the artists themselves.

    The modern artist now has so many ways to engage fans, and most of those ways are available whether you are signed to a major or releasing your music from your bedroom. Mobile apps, blogs, micro-blogs, forums, social bookmarking, social networking, newsletters, gigs and performances, video blogs, online radio, viral marketing... the list goes on. The challenge has really become how to stand out from an ever growing crowd of artists

    The accessibility of music creation to those with no musical training or experience and the dominance of television talent shows, especially in shaping the dreams of aspiring performers, has really and truly reshaped the musical landscape. The modern day aspiring artist has a huge range of ways to express themselves, to find apparent short cuts in creating that masterpiece, or that one piece that will "get them noticed". At the same time the modern day fan is spoiled for choice when it comes to their listening habits.

    We've also seen the resurgence of band after band from yesteryear, with re-releases, new material and tours galore as artists struggled to adjust to the changing marketplace. For many, if not most, performance income and merchandise have come to replace mechanical royalties from recordings.

    It's also a decade that's seen a feeling of marginalization of songwriters despite a reported growth in earning by songwriters overall, a blurring of roles between songwriter, recording engineer and producer, and a growth in the number of roles small bands play in pushing themselves forward through social media aware Online Music Distribution sites.

    So what next? How do we rise to the challenges of the next decade? Are mash ups the future of music and video production? Will musical works have to be wrapped with 3D, 24 / 7 reality shows?

    Putting aside the crystal ball I can say that I continue to find encouragement through the optimism, resilience and creativity in abundant supply from musicians expressed in groups and seen within musical and songwriting communities like Songstuff, and no doubt within bands and songwriting groups the world over. There's a huge rise in collaborations and there continues to be a huge appetite for information and tools to help with everything from the creative process, through performance to distribution. There is still a massive desire to be successful, to communicate with others and a gritty determination to make the best music we can.

    Bands, musicians and songwriters can have many misconceptions, but there is a broader, earlier awareness of music as a business than there used to be. Pandora's box has been opened and now rather than the machinations of the music industry being hidden, the modern muso is overwhelmed with tools and methods but there remains a lack of information on how to best use those tools and how to safely navigate through the flood of business information available.

    In all these regards I hope that Songstuff can play a role in aiding our members, our visitors make the most of their talents, to help them connect with other musicians and with fans, and to continue to provide a friendly environment in which to do so. I started Songstuff with the grandiose vision of helping to improve the awareness of musicians and to provide a safe harbor as they sought to expand their understanding and hone their skills. To this day that continues to be my aim. The realism of that idea continues to evolve, and is to a huge degree down to the members of Songstuff itself.

    I would like to take this opportunity to offer thanks to all of our community members and site visitors for their many contributions to debate, to music, the many articles contributed, and to spreading the word about Songstuff over the years.

    In particular I would like to thank those who have taken time as authors, moderators and staff members, who have all volunteered to dedicate their time and effort towards shaping Songstuff into what it is today. Truly a community of musicians and songwriters shaped by the community, for the community.

    Many, many thanks to you all.

    Here's to making music over the next decade!

    John Moxey
  20. john
    We've added a new section of boards for Songstuff Members providing recommended free VST instruments and effects.

    Free VST Advisory

    It's a growing resource. Recommendations for new VSTs for us to evaluate and add to the list are very welcome!
  23. john
    Ok so the file sharing people have kindly killed off not just the major labels as they like to think in their most Robin Hood of moments, but they have also massacred the independent labels and musicians.

    Little thought goes into their actions. They want free music. They feel entitled to it, and no matter what argument is presented they invariably come back with some "striking at the big boys", some anti-corporate crap and the vague notion that we should all trust them to buy the stuff that they like.

    In truth they rarely buy anything but keep almost all they download.

    Completely misinformed don't let them fool you. Anti-popular as the opinion might be they are selfish thieves who care nothing for the damage that they do to the many many more musicians and music professionals who have nothing to do with their supposed target.

    So what kind of world are these people carving? Are they striking at the major labels? Yes. Are they attacking all the other musicians? Yes. they may say they don't but sorry, just look at the file sharing sites. It's a crock.

    Soon, and I mean very soon, many independent labels are going to disappear. So are many music professionals. What does that leave? Only the majors and some indie bands with a big enough following to have their fans buy merchandise.

    What we will have is almost no indie music. What incentive is there for musicians to create music? Lots. What incentive is there for musicians to share that music with others? Almost none.

    How would these file sharers feel if they trained for years, worked their ass off, and then people just helped themselves to the fruits of all their efforts, and emptied their pay packets? All work and no pay makes anyone very poor.

    No thought is given to "how will the little guys survive?". Trouble is, new big guys come from todays little guys. Add to that the major labels are so broke they are not keen to invest in new bands at all. It's a lot of investment for almost no return, normally a huge loss these days.

    Instead you can see what is happening. Labels are releasing back catalog music in droves, generally aiming at markets that are less computer savvy. Music videos are shot very cheaply. the quality of the music is going down as labels use samplers and synths to replace session musicians (which does little for the nuance of performance), ticket prices are up as is merchandise. The big guys are just switching how they earn their money.

    But merchandise requires fans, fans come from being noticed and being liked. So how does an independent musician earn a crust? Maybe the file sharers should all work for years, with no pay, in fact paying to do their job, with the complete uncertainty that they will ever be paid. That was the way it often was before file sharing took hold.

    Now the equivalent is that the musician pays for it all, gives away their music for free in the hope that fans will buy an official t-shirt (oh wait they are bootlegged too along with concert programs and all the other merchandise) and they are left with what?

    Debt.

    So soon we have few new bands. Quality of music goes down. Quality of videos goes down. Less is spent on promotion so you are less likely to even know a lot of music exists. Musicians work in their spare time, for little recognition for their efforts other than "thanks for the music".

    Is this what you want? All so you can get some songs for free? "Hey it's just one song" I hear you say. yeah one song by that artist maybe, but look across your music collection.

    Artists earn by adding together those small amounts from all the people who say "Hey it's just one song". trouble is it really isn't just you. It's the thousands and thousands of others who do this too. in fact downloading any track simply supports the sites that offer these services making them more popular allowing them to grow faster and do more an more damage.

    Streaming is another fast growing alternative. It pays musicians very poorly (as one person on these boards noted about $10 for 20,000 plays). It's already spreading to mobile devices. Soon fans wont need to download anything they will just have access to an entire archive of music where ever they go. i do believe I hear the death knell of the music industry.

    Movies are next, then books. Soon we will have a situation where the creative industries are completely shattered apart. Back to the pre pop revolution. In fact way before that.

    Some musicians will always be content with a pat on the back "well done", but for many now comes a time when they will ask themselves "ok I made some music... now can i be assed letting people hear it other than my friends" Sure they may perform, but really, what incentive is there to release those songs to a wider audience?

    By file sharing, even streaming, you are killing off the artists you like as well as the ones you dislike. this is no small scale thing that is making a small dent, this is something that is killing the music industry. All of it.

    Thanks.
  24. john
    Please welcome Marcel Tiemensma as an author with the Guitar Area on Songstuff. Marcel will be focusing on Classical and Spanish guitar styles.

    Marcel is a Master of Guitar from Rotterdam Conservatory and the University of Utrecht with a lifelong fascination for the Spanish guitar. For over 20 years Marcel has been performing throughout Europe as wellas within the United States. He remains in demand as a studio musician as wellas by popular artists as a stage musician.

    Watch out for Marcel's first tutorial for Songstuff, "Tirando and Apoyando".

    P
  25. john
    Awaken has been out there for some time, I know, but it is new toanyone who hasn't heard it... which is more or less the entire world!For years I haven't pushed my own music at all (neglected almostcompletely) and as a result few people have heard any. There have been,and still are, reasons that I haven't produced much in the way ofrecordings over the last few years. I'm hoping to change that over thecoming months (with a little help from my friends... ).

    The first step is to try and gather some fans while I record some of mynew songs. That means spreading the word and trying to introduce morepeople to my music.

    I'm in the difficult situation that I cannot go out and perform, atleast not in the foreseeable future. Who knows, hopefully one day. Thismeans that I rely pretty well entirely on family, friends, and the webto get my music out there.

    It's a simple thing to share, comment or like but I would ask you allto please consider visiting the John Moxey reverbnation profile and subscribing tomy newsletter, become a fan on reverbnation, and to play Awaken eachday if you can.

    Lastly I am asking each of you if you can help spread my music. Reverbnation and Facebook provide various ways to do this.

    Your help is very much needed and appreciated!

    A big ask I know, but if you don't ask you don't get.

    John Moxey Reverbnation Profile

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