NXNP - Music Marketing: Brands and Bands
I kind of did stream of conciousness notes of the Music Marketing: Brands and Bands panel.
The lo-down: session on how to build a fanbase through the local media, merchandising, marketing and promotion - loosely moderated by George Vargas, the UT music critic.
The panelists (besides George Varga): Erik Stein (Scoop Marketing), Garett Michaels (FM 94/9), Jeff Motch (Lively & Motch), Petey X (Merch Lackey), Greg Pearson (Trusonic) and Tadd Crayton (loserkids.com)
My notes (these were totally what I was typing while I was listening to the panel):
George Varga asks all the panelists if they’ve been in a band….out of the 7…just 2 of them (one of them on season 2 of real world. Don’t recognize him at all. )
Crap, my cell phone just went off….bad bad me. we all got to hear Against Me!
Varga: Era of the internet….in flux but where will it be going?
Petey: play out…presence on the internet. Looks at myspace if a band is asking merchlackey to print tees. Merch a key factor in getting yourself out there (repeated more than once from everyone so far…)
(editor note: Varga asks everyone to tell the audience what they do)
Stein: as a professional publicists – need to start as DIY before you can really break.
Garett: “we play music”
Motch: design….Jack Johnson is his biggest client
Petey: 10 yrs as a musician and then what’s next? I can do this better than most people out there.
Pearson: tru-sonic – 30000 retail locations that they provide music for. Retail, music choice. Custom playlists. Original and covers. 20% unsigned artists.
Crayton: loserkids – fashion/started by the blink guys. Formerly of artist direct.
Varga points out a “Common denominator” - blink (stein, motch and crayton)
Using blink as an example of how do it right - they toured up and down the west coast – blink – where all the airplay and popularity came from.
Garett: passionate fanbase – don’t do unless you love it. (blink) he heard from programmers on the west coast (while in Detroit)
Motch: If someone’s an asshole, you don’t help them.
Stein: access is a lot freer. With the web, they need content.
Garett: on radio programming – what is radio trying to do. It’s a business – used KROQ as an exmaple. Narrow and formulaic. When programming KBZT, they looked at the opportunity in the market. KBZT tried to build a passionate fan base on word of mouth. They had an agenda. Garett comments on the state of radio (my favorite topic). He calls it “Formulaic bullshit” Notes that KBZT only plays three songs of top 10 in their format. Radio cannot break a band it is an accelerator. Gives MIA as an example of how radio is an accelerator. MIA was a critic’s darling when the album came out. They tried playing “Paper Planes”. Not much traction on air. Now “Paper Planes” is being used in the trailer for the movie Pineapple Express. Radio (crossover over different genres) is jumping on it now.
Next topic: Does good press matter?
Petey: Bad press is good press.
Another topic: how do you hear new music?
Motch: 91x made me turn off the radio.
Garett: tools for discovering new music – recommendations and word of mouth. (He sideway insulted Varga with saying that he would rather listen to someone he respected as opposed to Varga’s writing.)
Guitar center -10 formats, core playlist. Mix in custom acts.
(At this point I stopped taking notes...wasn’t as interesting because they were kinda all saying the same thing.)
But I recorded the whole thing and here are some cool quotes (besides the couple of gems up there....)
Garett: “The 900 lb. gorilla of rock radio in America is KROQ.”
Garett: “Who remembers the Nixons?” Stein: “I do, I was their publicist.”
Petey: “No one wants to see that the record they worked six months on and poured their heart and soul into just be bagged by a person who can’t even play guitar.”
Petey: “In your life you can only sell out once.”
Motch: “Anyone who really loves music in this town doesn’t listen to the radio.”
On another note - the panel was definitely dominated by Petey, Stein, Motch and Garett. Pearson and Crayton barely got a word in edgewise. But all in all, very entertaining and informative for sure. Can’t wait to go see bands in a few hours.
