October 19th, 2007

Royalty Free Music from RoyaltyFreeMusic.com and Some More Advice for making your own music from CDBaby!

A few weeks ago we talked to you about producing your own music for website use and also other types of music when we excerpted a conversation our own Mike Bielenberg had with the Founder of CDBaby, Derek Sivers. (If you need to catch up, this useful news story can be found in the royalty free music news archives.) Every artist thinks his/her work deserves attention. ALL the musicians and artists working with the royalty free music and copyright free music in our music library of over 10,000 tracks of original music are real, working musicians with a huge amount of collective experience performing and composing an array of music for website use and music in every imaginable genre and style.

Regardless of how much experience you have with making or selling copyright free music or any other type of music, getting yourself noticed in the industry and getting your career underway can be a real challenge. Below are three more tips from Derek Sivers, in his words for getting yourself on the radar screen of listeners, producers and others within the music world that can help you move towards your goals.

"1. GO WHERE THE FILTERS ARE

Have you been filtered? If not, you should start now. (Huh?)

With the internet, there are more ‘media outlets' than anyone can digest. A site like MP3.COM has 250,000 artists on there. Many of them are crap. People in the music biz get piles of CDs in the mail everyday from amateurs. Many of them are crap.

But you're not crap, are you? No! So prove it! Don't sit in the bin with the rest.

You need to go through filters. Places that reject many, only letting the best of the best pass through.

As long as you're good (really good) - what you want are MORE filters! More obstacles … More hurdles ...

Because these things weed out the ‘bad' music. Or the music that isn't ready. Or the people that weren't dedicated.

I worked at Warner Brothers for 3 years. I learned why they never accept unsolicited demos: It helps weed out the people that didn't do enough research to know they have to go meet managers or lawyers or David Geffen's chauffeur FIRST in order to get to the ‘big boys.' (Deal with the 'gatekeepers' to get to the mansion.)

If you REALLY, REALLY BELIEVE in your music, have the confidence to put yourself into those places where MOST people get rejected (radio, magazines, big venues, agents, managers, record labels, promoters, etc.)

Because each gate you get through puts you in finer company (‘the best of the best'). And you'll find many more opportunities open to you once you've earned your way through a few gates.

2. EXTREME RESULTS = EXTREME ACTIONS.

You don't get extreme talent, fame, or success without extreme actions.

Be less leisurely.

Throw yourself into this entirely.

Find what you love and let it kill you.

IF THIS IS DRAINING YOUR ENERGY, PLEASE STOP!

‘Whatever scares you, go do it.' <-- one of my favorite slogans

If something scares you in an excited way, (something that gives you energy) - that's a good sign.

BUT IF SOMETHING IS MAKING YOU MISERABLE AND DRAINING YOUR ENERGY, PLEASE STOP.

Life is telling you that is not the path for you.

QUICK EXAMPLE: Biggest mistake I ever made in my life:

My band was doing well. A well-meaning lawyer that I trusted told me that I should start a record label. ‘Find and sign 3 other artists. Do for them what you did for your band. Then sell the whole label for a million bucks!!'

I walked out of his office with slumped shoulders, miserable, saying,
‘Yeah... I guess he's right ...'

With a long face, I plopped in a chair back home and thought, ‘Oh man ... do I really have to do this?' But because I trusted him, I spent 2 years of my life trying!

It wasn't what came natural to me, and so of course it was a failure. AND since I had spent so much time on it, the thing that I WAS good at (making music) was being ignored!!

I wish I would have paid attention to my lack of enthusiasm and stuck with the things that excited me.

Please don't make the same mistake.

If anything I'm talking about here makes you tired instead of wired, just don't do it! Stick with what excites you. That's where you'll find your success.

3. HAVE SOMEONE WORK THE INSIDE THE INDUSTRY

I prefer to ignore the music industry. Maybe that's why you don't see me on the cover of ‘Rolling Stone.'

One of my only regrets about my own band was that we toured and got great reviews, toured and got lots of airplay, toured and booked some great-paying gigs. BUT nobody was working the inside of the music business.

Nobody was connecting with the ‘gatekeepers' to bring us to the next level. We just kept doing the same gigs.

Maybe you're happy on the outside of the biz. (I know I am.)

But if you want to tour with major-label artists, be on the cover of national magazines, be in good rotation on the biggest radio stations in town, or get onto MTV, you're going to have to have someone working the inside of the biz.

Someone who loves it. Someone who is loved by it. Someone persuasive who gets things done 10 times faster than you ever could. Someone who's excited enough about it, that they would never be discouraged.

Like your love of making music. You wouldn't just ‘stop' making music because you didn't get a record deal would you? Then you need to find someone who's equally passionate about the business side of music, and particularly the business side of YOUR music.

It IS possible. There are lots of people in this world."

You've just heard three more excellent tips for thriving in the music industry. Whether you are working to create excellent copyright free music, royalty free music, music for website use or some other type of music, you can use these tips to help you understand where you are headed and how to get there.

If you are a professional looking for royalty free music to enhance your productions, projects and creative endeavors, visit our vast library of copyright free music in every imaginable style at affordable prices. Stay tuned to www.royaltyfreemusic.com as we continue to roll out a variety of tips in the coming weeks from Derek Sivers and others that can help you make the most out of your projects and careers.

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