Springsteen played Bonnaroo. McCartney played Coachella. Elton recorded a track with Timbaland. Somewhere, somehow the lines are becoming blurred. Speaking of McCartney, let’s not forget that Rockband – Beatles Edition comes out on 9/9/09. Can a Rolling Stones/Miley Cyrus duet be far behind?
As they head down the rock icon/megastar road, artists are having a harder time attracting new fans as well as lining the coffers. As an example, if you were 18 when the Beatles were on Ed Sullivan, today you’re an AARP member celebrating your 63rd birthday. But since Ringo and his friends aren’t keeping their cash under the mattress, odds are they need to earn some cash just like you and me. Maybe you hadn’t heard, but the economy tanked. Anyway…
So how do you stay current in an industry that reveres youth, vitality, and the latest in … everything? The struggle to stay iconic, without becoming archival, has become an issue for multiple artists. The solution is to go where the fans are — which means new venues both online and on stage.
The festival circuit allows artists accustomed to playing 2 (or 3+) hour shows to cut down the act significantly while still making a pretty decent payday. And since the average age of a Bonnaroo attendee is much closer to 20 than 60, you’re gaining the massive exposure your career and balance sheet requires.
I’m an Elton fan. No big secret there. Since they worked together, both artists’ fans are gonna check out the other. For Elton, the Timbaland fans that check him out are gonna find stacks of tracks that’ve been sampled elsewhere. What’s old hat for most becomes new source material for some, but most importantly sales for Sir Elton. Elton stands to make some decent cash and gain an entirely new audience.
Without talking much about sampling specifically, music licensing helps multiple artists make money, gain exposure, and not work too hard in the process. Think of the role music plays in your life (they’re playing our song …), and you can see why music supervisors are a highly paid commodity in Hollywood. Unfortunately, getting rights to use an extremely well-known song can cost a boatload. What’s a film studio to do? Ah, indie artists…high talent and low cost!
If your music sounds just like someone else — a studio wants it. ‘Cuz I’ll bet that Paul McCartney costs far more than Mike McCartney, or Mike Smith (who you’d swear was Paul…). Get a start with licensing today – check out Audiosocket. Good people, simple operation. And if your music’s any good – money for you.
To restate, and in conclusion, and summarilly — find a different audience that doesn’t know you. If your iconic, find a relevant way to get in front of a younger audience. If you’re younger, look at alternative solutions for exposure including licensing. As someone said, “the times they are a-changin’ … “
