Tate Music Group Marketing

Ghostwriting

2011-07-27T09:57:00.001-07:00

New York Times Bestselling Author, Michael Levin, Shares His Insight On Business, Books and Ghostwriters

I had the privilege to interview Michael Levin, New York Times bestselling author and CEO of BusinessGhost (www.BusinessGhost.com) about why corporate executives and professionals should write a book. Having written novels, business books and co-written with or ghost written for many high profiled professionals, such as Baseball Hall of Famer Dave Winfield, football broadcasting legend Pat Summerall, FBI undercover agent Joaquin Garcia and E-Myth creator Michael Gerber, he offers a unique insight that is a wealth of information.

Michael has also written for the New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, CBS News, the Boston Globe, the Los Angeles Times and many other top outlets. Plus he is an eight-time national best-selling author and his books have received outstanding reviews in The New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, the New Yorker, People Magazine, theWashington Post, the San Francisco Examiner, Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, the Boston Globe, Esquire, Booklist and other leading publications.

So relax and learn how you can become an author of a book in just 13 weeks and help propel your business to the next level. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed conducting the interview.

Marsha: Why do you recommend that people write books in order to promote their businesses?

Michael: That's a great question. We live in an era where the Internet is turning practically every business, service, or consultant into a commodity judged primarily, if not only, on price. In other words, the only way a lot of people are able to get business is by competing on price, and the rule in business is that any business you get by competing on price, you'll lose when someone undercuts your price. So the question becomes this: how do people stand out in an overcrowded marketplace, where consumers and prospects have access to more information about your competition than ever? How do you make people realize that you are the most trustworthy advisor and that you can solve their problems?

At the end of the day, every website pretty much looks like every other website. They're all attractive. They've all got blogs. They all kind of look the same. So even spending a lot of money on a website, let alone on traditional stand-alone marketing material like brochures, just doesn't cut it. There's nothing as powerful as a book to get people's attention.

With a book, you're able to demonstrate that you understand like no one else the specific nature of the problems that your prospects face. I always recommend targeting a niche with a book instead of writing for the general public. Write exactly for the people you're trying to sell to. Show them that you understand their problems and that you offer solutions. In a book, you can lay out everything that you do to solve these problems. The goal is that if your book is generous enough with information, they'll say, "I could do this on my own, but I would be much better off hiring the author to solve this problem for me." That's the result we're looking for. That's why you want a book.

Marsha: What can a book do that a good website can't?

Michael: It really comes down to what I said in the previous answer—help the author stand out from the crowd. Again, everybody's got a website, but how many of your competitors have books? Probably none. A book is an outstanding "leave behind"—you can't exactly print out your website and leave it on the prospect's desk. You can send your book in ahead of you and it's so impressive that you've written a book while everyone else just has a website. You can get radio and TV appearances, as an expert or as a guest, because you're an author. If you want to be a speaker, you really have to have a book, because the first question people ask you if you want to speak is, "Where is your book?" You can get lucrative speaking engagements, media exposure, a presence on the Internet beyond your own website... all with a book. Not just with a website. Of course you've got to have an attractive website, but again, so does everybody else. What's going to make you unique?

Marsha: Why should someone consider using a ghostwriter to write their book?

Michael: We're all good at what we do and not everyone has the desire, inclination, or experience to write his or her own book. Typically, for my clients, even for those who could write their own book and might even desire to do so, it's really not the highest and best use of their time. It might take them, say, a hundred hours over six months to write their book. I can get it done for them in about twelve hours over ninety days. So you're saving time, because you're bringing in the expertise of an experienced person—in our case, our company, BusinessGhost, has done more than a hundred books. Then you're able to use the same time you would have used writing your own book doing things that create the most leverage in your business or practice. It sure isn't hunching over a computer and typing paragraphs out.

On top of that, a ghostwriter does more than write. A really good one will help you determine exactly what the right book should be for you at this time. You could write a lot of different books and maybe you'll write many books over the course of your career. But what's the right, best book right now for you? That's awfully hard to determine on your own. It really is worth bringing in the guidance of a professional to solve that problem. I'm not sure I would equate ghostwriting and brain surgery, but if I needed brain surgery, God forbid, I wouldn’t' do it myself. The work of ghostwriters isn't quite as dramatic as brain surgery, of course. But we do have our clients' reputations on the line and we have to take that responsibility incredibly seriously.

Marsha: What if someone does a lot of letter writing and blog writing—can they just write their own book, or is a ghostwriter still a good idea?

Michael: In my experience, a book is just a different animal. How do you sustain the interest of a reader over a document that runs not just a few thousand words, but 150 or 200 pages? How do you know how to organize the thing? What goes where? How much of a "call to action" can you include without offending the reader? By the way, how are you going to publish it? These are issues that even people who enjoy the process of writing their own blog pieces, articles, and [why] papers may not have the experience to answer as effectively as if they had brought in someone with specific experience in that field. Books are just different. They’re not just bigger; they are orders of magnitude more complex. I don't want to make what we do sound like it’s overly important. But it is important. A book has to be right. If it feels like a collection of blog pieces, people are going to say, “This isn't really a book! If you’re not credible about this, why should I trust you on anything else?”

Marsha: What are some of the things someone should look for in choosing the best ghostwriter for them?

Michael: I had a client in the area of HR who said that the key to hiring anybody is not to focus on the usual things—resume, education, how many years of experience they have, prior job titles. The only really important question is this: “Where have you solved this same problem elsewhere?” In reality, anyone can call himself or herself a ghostwriter. There is no licensing structure. The state doesn't regulate ghostwriting. You’re on your own if you’re hiring someone, because anyone can “hang out a shingle.”

The thing you've got to ask any potential ghostwriter is this: “Where have you solved this problem before?” In this case, the problem is translating the appropriate body of knowledge in the client’s head into a book that will convince a specific niche audience to take a specific action that the client desires that niche audience to take. We've done that a hundred times.

Marsha: What are some of the pitfalls people need to avoid in hiring a ghostwriter?

Michael: Lack of experience is one thing. Ironically, not charging enough. Books are a lot like cars, in that you get what you pay for, except that it’s easier to cut corners and get something good with cars than with writers. There really is no such thing as getting a bargain when it comes to hiring a professional writer. If you want a good book, be prepared to write a serious check. On the other hand, you’re going to make so much more money from the book than you ever could have imagined that it'll be worth it, and sooner than later.

By the way, you don't need to be a bestseller and you don't even need to get a deal with a New York publisher to have your book succeed for you. The sole measures of a book are these: has it increased your stature and earned you money? If the writer you’re considering has not written books that have done these things for other people, keep looking. Ask to speak to past clients and learn not just about how the book came out, but how the experience was working with the writer. Some of my brethren are not as professional as they could be. They hold onto that “artiste” mentality and have disdain for anything to do with business. I don't feel that way at all. Sometimes people say, “Michael, do you ever get writer’s block?” My answer is always the same: “No, because I have writer’s mortgage.”

What’s behind that little joke is the reality that we’re being judged not just by the quality of our product but by the customer service we provide. If people aren't happy with the experience they have with BusinessGhost, it doesn't matter how good their book is. So you've got to find somebody who can provide both quality service and a quality book. And the only way you'll know is by checking the writer’s references.

Marsha: How important is it to find a ghostwriter educated in their field of business?

Michael: It’s not as important as you'd think. It’s the writer’s job, essentially, to stand in the shoes of the reader of the book and ask the kinds of questions the reader would ask, if the reader had access to the author. So it’s the client’s job to educate the writer as to who the audience is. That’s my starting point when I work with a new client—we determine exactly who the audience is for the book, what their needs are, what their problems are, what their concerns are and what their fears are. Who are these people? It’s a little like method acting. If I know who I'm representing when I'm doing the interviewing, I can ask the right questions.

I would never take a book on that has a scientific or medical bent, simply because I don't have a background in those areas. We don't do technical writing in any form at BusinessGhost. It’s just not our strength. But we've worked with business people in so many different fields, including healthcare, real estate, consulting, finance, investing, event planning, sports, broadcasting, coaching, body/mind/spirit—at this point, we've done a book in just about every field you can think of.

The one thing you don't really want to ask your writer is, “Have you done a book exactly like mine?” Chances are no one has. What you want is an individual who has enough of a business background to grasp the core of what you are trying to get across in the book. I have a law degree from Columbia Law School and I've been running my own business now for more than seventeen years. So I've got a pretty good idea of what it takes to run a successful business and that helps me understand where my clients are coming from as they run theirs.

Marsha: How does the process typically work for a busy executive or professional?

Michael: My role as ghostwriter is to have the smallest possible footprint on my client’s schedule. I learned the hard way that busy people just don't have time to spend hour after hour chatting over a glass of wine on their private jet with their writer. That’s not the real world. In fact, I like to say, “If you've got enough time to talk with me, you probably aren't busy enough to need a book.”

To best answer your question I can tell you how I work, which is unique, but it doesn't necessarily reflect how other ghostwriters work. First, I personally work with the client in order to come up with the table of contents for the book. This involves us discussing the audience for the book, the action we want that audience to take, the body of knowledge in the author’s head that would convince that group of individuals to take that specific action, if only they knew the author knew that stuff! That body of knowledge then becomes chunked down into the table of contents. We can typically work through this process in an hour on the phone. Indeed, there are many clients of mine I've never met face to face and we've done all our work on the phone.

After that initial hour, all we need is an hour a week. In an hour a week, we can do an interview that would serve as the raw material for each successive chapter. So you know that Tuesdays at 9:00, you’re talking to your ghostwriter about chapter one this week, chapter two next week and so on. Our schedules are flexible so that when our clients need to move meetings, which often happens, we can accommodate them. As long as we keep up that basic pace of an hour a week, we can generate a chapter within ten to twelve days of that hour-long conversation. So you've got chapter one in your inbox ten to twelve days after the interview on chapter one. You can give us guidance, which we can apply as the writing goes forward, even with chapters two and three—so that by the time you’re getting those chapters, the book is already essentially in the second-draft phase instead of you getting a big pile of papers that doesn't sound anything like you when the manuscript is delivered, which often happens with other writers.

So what’s nice about our process is that in an hour a week, you can just do a “file dump” of everything you've ever known, thought, believed, expected, case histories, war stories, whatever, about a given topic and you don't even have to organize it in your head to deliver it to us. That’s our job. You give us the hour and we can give you a twelve to seventeen-page chapter within ten to twelve days. And since most of the books we do are under 200 pages, because people like shorter books today, we can have the whole writing and editing process done within about four months... and it only takes a client an hour a week. It’s a lot of work for us, but not for the client. And that’s how it should be.

Marsha: What final product should someone expect when hiring a ghostwriter?

Michael: It shouldn't be a pile of pages! The final deliverable should be a beautiful book that celebrates you, your business, your service, your product, your ideas, or whatever you are bringing to the marketplace. The book has to be brilliantly written and extremely attractive. As they used to say on that old commercial, anything less... would be uncivilized!

Marsha: Michael, thank you so much for your time and for sharing this valuable information for our readers!

Warmest regards,

Marsha

Marsha Friedman

Chief Executive Officer

EMSI Public Relations

Variance Has Made it a Year!

2011-04-05T08:59:00.000-07:00

Variance Magazine has survived our first year! We have stayed true to our first publication where Variance is a magazine for the fans by the fans. We take stories, articles and ideas you have an bring them to life. To date we have had over 500,000 unique views to our magazine.

April 1st marked the new quarter so yet another issue of Variance was released. Yellowcard is featured on the cover with their return of a brand new release. We also feature Noah Everett with an exclusive interview on the twit pic founder, The Civil Wars, The Vinyl Pinups and many more.

Please submit any features you want to see or you want published to submit@variancemagazine.com

Custom Magazines for Individuals

2011-03-08T08:13:00.000-08:00

Variance Magazine is now creating custom magazines for individuals and businesses. We have taken the success of our own magazine and now allow everyone to have their own high end magazine to brand themselves, promote, advertise and market the products and services their business might offer.

This is by far one of the newest advertising products on the market right now. The resource gives clients a high end magazine feel, newsletter capabilities with the benefits of social networking and media.

Variance also creates a marketing plan that generates a minimum of 50,000 impressions per magazine.

People that would be interested in Variance are anyone who has a brand to create, product or service to sell. We work with various industries and for all we have increased traffic by double digits to their website and generated impressions in their target market.

Check out what some of our clients have to say about Variance.

Scott Cornelius ~ “Within three weeks of my first publication with Variance they generated over 1.5 million impressions on the internet for my business, traffic to my website increased over 40%, and I saw an increase in new leads”.

Jeff Chandler ~ “I’ve been in the music industry for 18 years and musicians are always trying to find new ways to stay connected and grow their fan base. The design element of Variance blew my mind and it allows me to promote my music in an entirely new way.”

Darlene Williams ~ “The design is out of the ball park, it more than met my expectations. As an author Variance allows me to create a valuable resource to further promote and market my book. It created an online presence for me that I update quarterly and has increased traffic dramatically. I am so excited to start each new magazine.”

Jennifer Maggio ~ “Variance Magazine designed a magazine for me that not only created exposure for my ministry and book, but also provides a free, valuable resource for single moms across the globe. The magazine’s creation was quick and easy and the benefits endless. Within 24 hours of the launch we had hundreds of hits and have created a national buzz!”

M. Jackson ~ “This absolutely KICKS BUTT, THIS RULES, it is so awesome. I have to pinch myself to believe this is real. The graphics are beautiful…OMG!!! You guys are so good it brings tears to my eyes.”

A. Payne ~ “Our newsletter contains important information about our company but that document was not generating the exposure we needed to our target market. Within the first month of our first magazine with Variance we experienced a 35% increase in traffic to our website.”

Open Mic a Success

2011-01-27T08:59:00.000-08:00

Detroit, MI – Tuesday night in Detroit, TMG artist Nick Beaudrie walks into an Open Mic night. Although the crowd was small, and could be counted on one hand, Nick and his bandmate decided to give them a show. After playing their hearts out, one of the audience members had to know “Who are you!?” A lot of artists are turned off by playing for such a small crowd, unaware of the fan base they can accumulate or the people that might be there scouting out local talent…
This new fan of Nick’s happened to be a radio show host at 96.3 WDVD, and loved Nick’s music so much he asked him to come in the very next day for an interview.

WDVD’s Christopher Ewing, host of The Radio Café, will be airing Nick Beaudrie’s music and interview in the next few weeks. Stay tuned for the download to be available on The Radio Café.

Festival Season is upon us!

2011-01-20T14:56:00.001-08:00

Artists and Labels have been submitting music for the 2011 music festivals for a couple months now and will continue on throughout the year. Live shows are so crucial for growing a fan base for your music, and we are blessed to have such hard working artists.
Here at Tate Music Group, we have been busy building relationships with festivals and venues across the US and we are excited to share with you a few places you can see TMG artists this year!

Whisky A Go-Go - Los Angeles, CA www.whiskyagogo.com

“As long as there has been a Los Angeles rock scene, there has been the Whisky A Go-Go. An anchor on the Sunset Strip since it’s opening in 1964, the Whisky A Go-Go has played host to rock ‘n’ roll’s most important bands, from the Doors, Janis Joplin, and Led Zeppelin to today’s up and coming new artists.” – Whisky A Go-Go
(Photo by Whisky A Go-Go)

The Viper Room - West Hollywood, CA www.viperroom.com

“On any given day of the year at the Viper Room, you’ll find musical talents who have meaning and that are developing and leading the music scene of Los Angeles and the nation.” – The Sunset Strip
(Photo by Alen)

Epicentre - San Diego, CA www.epicentreconcerts.org

“Epicentre is also an all-age music venue that is dedicated to discovering the underground music talent from San Diego and throughout the country.” – Epicentre
(Photo by ElectricFritz)

Unity Fest - Pensacola, FL www.unityfest2011.org

“To bring praise and honor to our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ. To reach out to our community and bring forth his word of salvation and unconditional love for us all through song. We look to bring forth God’s Church by unifying a diverse Body of Christ through praise and worship.” - Unity Fest

(Photo by Unity Fest)

The Bamboo Lounge - Lancaster, CA www.bamboomusiclounge.weebly.com/

“We have entertainment here from Rock, Metal, Punk, Alternative, Jazz, Blues, Funk bands to Comedy shows.” - Bamboo Lounge
(Photo by ACJ Photography)

The Talking Stick - Venice, CA www.thetalkingstick.net

“The Talking Stick is a great place to play. It’s a laid back atmosphere that artists and audience both appreciate. We’re all about hearing and hosting the creative expressions of musicians and others.” – The Talking Stick

Cornerstone Festival - Bushnell, IL www.cornerstonefestival.com

“This event called Cornerstone Festival is far more than a massive musical experience. It is more than a collection of hundreds of solo artists and bands representing every style and sub-genre on the current musical landscape… Cornerstone Festival is the annual gathering of a community of believers that is spread out all over the world.” - Cornerstone Festival
(photo by Cornerstone Festival)

Rocketown - Pompano Beach, FL www.rocketownfl.com

“Rocketown is a 12,000 square foot non-profit entertainment facility on Federal Hwy consisting of a music venue, cafe, recreation, and programming. We provide a safe, alcohol and drug free environment for youth to enjoy concerts, classes, video games and much more.” - Rocketown
(photo by Rocketown)

Rock the Universe - Orlando, FL www.universalorlando.com/

“The songs that move you. The faith that lifts you. It all comes alive in one weekend, where the biggest names in Christian rock take the stage at Universal Studios^®.”
- Rock The Universe
(Photo by Universal Studios)

South by Southwest - Austin, TX www.sxsw.com

“At night, SXSW showcases hundreds upon hundreds of musical acts from around the globe on over eighty stages in downtown Austin. All this and so much more, combine to make SXSW one of the most revered music events, year after year.”

- SXSW

New Venue Relationships Established for Spring

2011-01-20T11:58:00.000-08:00

Every TMG artist has the benefit of our third party booking agent at their service. We have added some great relationships to our profile and are now currently booking at the below venues. I am very proud to say that we have always made steps forward in our almost three years of existence. Each year is more promising than the previous and if you are a TMG artist you should be excited about the near future.

Whisky A Go Go (Sunset Boulevard) - Los Angeles, CA

Elisabeth Ashley, SoulKry, Kaden

The Viper Room (Sunset Boulevard) - West Hollywood, CA

Elisabeth Ashley

Epicentre - San Diego, CA

The Fab Rudies

Unity Fest (Five Flags Speedway) - Pensacola, FL

Ascension Day

The Bamboo Lounge - Lancaster, CA

SoulKry

The Talking Stick - Venice, CA

SoulKry

Cornerstone Festival (Texas Stage) - Bushnell, IL

Ascension Day

Rocketown - Pompano Beach, FL

Ascension Day

Rock the Universe (Universal Studios) - Orlando, FL

Jeff Chandler, Chuck Tocco

South by Southwest - Austin, TX

The Fab Rudies, We The People, Jared Hard, Justin Cross, Scarlitt Redemption

Where Will Musicians Go After Myspace?

2011-01-19T12:28:00.000-08:00

Analysis: Where Will Musicians Go After Myspace?
January 13, 2011 – Digital & Mobile | Branding

By Antony Bruno

Myspace's decision to lay off half its workforce yesterday did not come as a huge surprise. But once it became official, the move solidified Myspace's image as a hopelessly sinking ship. Few believe anything but a sale or spinoff is the inevitable result.

For the music industry, this represents a significant conundrum. Myspace Music, the joint venture between Myspace and the major record labels, remains an important source of music promotion and discovery.

If Myspace goes away, where will all the artists who rely on their Myspace profiles as a default website go?

- Forrester Research analyst Mark Mulligan on his blog says smaller, music-specific upstarts like Bandcamp, SoundCloud and others are one option, but Facebook is emerging as the clear winner: "After a slow start, artist pages on Facebook have rapidly stolen the momentum. Artists are flocking in their droves to Facebook, leaving their MySpace pages to wither and many are even closing down their own websites. After all, where else are you going to get access to an audience of the scale that Facebook brings?"

- Silicon Alley Insider's Dan Frommer looks to Tumblr as a likely beneficiary: "This is a huge opportunity for Tumblr, which is insanely simple to use for blogging, and could easily handle most musicians' needs with 1) better support for static pages like "tour dates," "bio," etc., and 2) some sort of digital playlist tool for music samples. (Almost like a "Muxtape for Tumblr.")

- Songkick head of business development Caren Kelleher, however, feels artists are still "married" to Myspace Music: "Even with the rise of artist service companies, few are positioned to replicate what is perhaps MySpace's biggest asset: its role as the musician's calling card. The myspace.com/bandname URL is a common convention most bands adhere to and more consumers recognize. Chances are good that the piano man at your neighborhood bar has a MySpace page, as do the world's most successful acts. While combining a number of APIs and widgets on an artist's homepage can achieve the same functionality of MySpace, few have the potential to achieve the URL ubiquity that MySpace has."

Is Your Music Safe?

2011-01-17T07:30:00.000-08:00

I was reading the latest edition of Rolling Stone and I wanted to give the highlights of an article by David Browne.

Five Tips on preserving your digital collection.

1. BACK IT UP. Hard drives fail so keep everything backed up on an external hard drive.

2. FUTURE-PROOF YOUR TUNES. With a terabyte of storage available for under $75, there's no reason to compress files to low quality MP3's anymore.

3. CD-RS AREN'T SAFE. Avoid burning your music onto data CD-Rs or DVD-Rs. They can last as little as three to five years if they're left in the sunlight and if it wasn't good quality to begin with.

4. SAVE YOUR CDS - Don't toss your CD collection yet, as experts agree that most discs in your collection should last for another 30 - 40 years.

5. AIM FOR THE CLOUD. Consider backing up your music with a remote online "cloud" system.

TMG Artist Honored with IMN's Top Award

2011-01-14T13:06:00.001-08:00

TMG artist John Pagliano was recently honored with IMN's "Favorite Mainstream Impact Artist of the Year" 2010.

John released his CD "Gone Away to Yesterday back in July 2009 and it turns out that 2010 was the year for him having spent several consecutive weeks in the top 100 as well as the above mentioned award. John's music is being considered for future cinematic pictures and was featured in July 1st 2010 issue of Variance Magazine.

http://www.independentmusicnetwork.com/imn_awards.html

Neal McCoy on Fox & Friends

2011-01-12T11:19:00.000-08:00

Tate Publishing and Tate Music Group have worked closely with Neal McCoy over the last year or so. Here is a clip from Fox and Friends that aired this morning while Neal is on his publicity tour.

http://video.foxnews.com/v/4493353/neal-mccoys-new-mountain-to-climb/

Variance Magazine Over 250K Hits

2011-01-10T08:05:00.001-08:00

With the latest Issue, Variance Magazine has now garnered over 250,000 unique views to the magazines as a whole. For something that started out as a experiment we have gained great recognition and TMG is very excited to see how quickly it grows.

The latest issue features the likes of VersaEmerge, Disciple, and YouTube sensations Sam and Kurt (pictured above), among many others. Tate Music Group artist and Tate Publishing authors have an exciting chance to be viewed about 100,000 times on average per issue.

Big Bang Out of the Gates for Variance Magazine

2011-01-06T07:49:00.000-08:00

VersaEmerge landed the cover of the January issue of Variance Magazine and we are so glad they did. The magazine has had such a great response and their fans are coming out of the woodworks requesting more. This issue of the magazine also features Disciple, Venus Infers, Barats and Bereta, Kurt and Sam and many more.

Tate Music Group

Upcoming TMG TX Events

2011-01-03T13:33:00.001-08:00

Everything is bigger in Texas.. especially the local music scene! Here are a few TMG artists local to Texas that will be performing this month:

FEDUP, Arlington, TX
Genre: Pop/Hip Hop/R&B
View their music/bio here!
Visit FEDUP’s Store Page

Events:
January 8, 2011
America’s Best Coffee - 6:30 p.m.
3751 Matlock Rd., Arlington, TX 76015

January 21, 2011
Mochalux Coffee & Tea Co. - 5:30 p.m.
1101 E. Bardin Rd, Ste 101 Arlington, TX 76018

Tune In Tomorrow, Denton, TX
Genre: Rock/Pop
View their music/bio here!
Visit Tune In Tomorrow’s Store Page

Events:
January 15, 2011
The Prophet Bar - TBA
2513 Main St Dallas, TX 75226

January 15, 2011
Hastings - 6-8 p.m.
2114 TEXOMA PARKWAY SHERMAN, TX 75090

January 22, 2011
Hastings - 6-8 p.m.
2311 COLORADO BLVD. DENTON, TX 76205

Michelle Buzz, The Woodlands, TX
Genre: Alt Rock/Contemporary Christian
View her music/bio here!
Visit Michelle’s Store Page

Events:
January 18, 2011
Lone Star College, 11:30AM - 12:30 PM
3200 College Park Dr., Conroe, TX 77384

No Sugar Added, Borger, TX
Genre: Christian Hard Rock/Screamo
View their music/bio here!
Visit No Sugar Added’s Store Page

Events:
January 8, 2011
Calvary Baptist @ 7:30-10:30 pm
900 E. 23rd Ave. Pampa, TX 79065

January 22, 2011
Hastings - 4-6 p.m.
1329 WILSON STREET BORGER, TX 79007

January 22, 2011
The Refuge @ 7-10 pm
822 Weatherly St. Borger, TX 79007

January 29, 2011
Hastings - 4-6 p.m.
1205 N. HOBART PAMPA, TX 79065

Connection!, Houston, TX
Genre: Gospel
View their music/bio here!
Visit Connection!’s Store Page

Events:
January 22, 2011
God’s Property Community Church @ 6:00 pm
1731 E. Houston St. San Antonio, TX

DeMarcus Jones & Next Dimension, DeSoto, TX
Genre: Gospel/Contemporary Urban
View their music/bio here!
Visit DeMarcus Jones’ Store Page

Events:
January 15, 2011
Hastings - TBA
2311 Colorado Blvd. Denton, TX 76205

January 21, 2011
Cedar Valley College Performance Auditorium @ 6 pm
3030 N. Dallas Ave. Lancaster, T

Michigan Events

2011-01-03T13:29:00.000-08:00

If you are in Michigan, you are in luck! TMG has several local/regional artists performing in your area this month. Be sure to check these guys out!

Nick Beaudrie, Trenton, MI
Genre:Alt Rock/Pop/Worhip
View his music/bio here!
Visit Nick’s Store Page

Events:
January 8, 2011
Caribou Coffee 5-7 p.m.
401 South Main Royal Oak, MI 48067

January 25, 2011
AJ’s Music Cafe @ 6 pm
240 W. Nine Mile Rd. Ferndale, MI 48220

January 29, 2011
The District Cafe @ 6 pm.
4005 South Baldwin Road Orion, MI 48359

Medisin Wheel, Westland, MI
Genre: Christian Hard Rock
View their music/bio here!
Visit Medisin Wheel’s Store Page

Events:
January 7, 2011
New York New York
33151 23 Mile Rd., Chesterfield, MI 48047

January 22, 2011
Rock of Ages
31015 Ford Road, Garden City MI

Restoration, Muskegon, MI
Genre: Contemporary Christian/Worship
View their music/bio here!
Visit Restoration’s Store Page

Events:
January 22, 2011
Hage’s Christian Book Store, 3 pm concert
4949 Harvey St, Muskegon MI 49444

January 28, 2011
Biggby Coffee, 7p.m.
3295 Henry St., Muskegon, MI 49441

Sweet Crystal, Canton, MI
Rock/Progressive Rock
View their music/bio here!
Visit Sweet Crystal’s Store Page

Events:
January 22, 2011
The Ritz @ 9:00 pm.
24300 Hoover Rd. Warren MI 48188

Branson's Best: Bringing Glory to the Ozarks

2011-01-03T09:12:00.000-08:00

ANGELA E. THOMAS

courtesy of Tate Music Group

Never underestimate the power of music … Michael and Felicia Cole can truly attest to the power of a glorious melody to inspire and bring hope. Their children, Michael II, 18, Avery, 14, and Nadia, 11, unknowingly launched their vocal careers nearly four years ago when they sang to their mother, who was in a coma as a result of an automobile accident. While Avery and Nadia were too young to understand the extent of their mother’s injuries, they were aware of how sad their older brother was, and Michael remembers vividly how he felt when his mother responded: “it was absolutely amazing. I had a real feeling of assurance, of her progress. I would describe it as true happiness.”

Before Felicia’s accident, the three sang in church individually. Avery said it was pretty amazing how well their voices blended.

Realizing their gift, father Michael encouraged the children to sing to other patients, soon they began to sing in other venues and auditioned for the famed “Showtime at the Apollo”; and later for the hit TV show “America’s Got Talent.” The trio lit up the stage.

“I never thought we’d be on national television. Everyone liked us. Sharon cried when we sang,” Nadia said, referring to Sharon Osbourne, who serves as a judge on “America’s Got Talent.” She was moved to tears — and the crowd to their feet — by their performance.

“There are no limits to what God can do. We’ve been given so many great opportunities, and He’s opened so many doors,” Avery said.

Their appearance on “America’s Got Talent” was just the beginning. Since the Voices gained national attention, they’ve performed before audiences at Madison Square Garden and at the 41st Annual GMA (Gospel Music Association) Dove Awards; on “The Jim Bakker Show”; and on “Bobby Jones Gospel” on BET (Black Entertainment Television).

The Cole family is, as one would imagine, proud of the success the siblings have had. “Our dad always encourages us. He tells us to keep dreaming and shoot for the stars,” Avery said. “Yes, he said from the beginning, ‘You can make it all the way,” Nadia said, agreeing.

Their uncle Gerard Cole serves as their manager. “The Voices of Glory’s success has been incredible. They often receive standing ovations, and audiences compare their sound to internationally-known artists … Nadia’s been compared to Whitney Houston; Avery to a young Michael Jackson; and Michael to Barry White … we’re so pleased with how well everything has come together.”

Each of the members is studying instruments and hope to one day be skilled enough to play during performances. They’ve been influenced musically by singers/musicians. “ I love a wide variety of artists … I like music with a message,” Michael said.

This month, the Voices of Glory bring their own message of encouragement, hope and love with their self-titled, debut CD, set to release Jan. 7. The CD has 13 cuts including a remake of Whitney Houston’s megahit “The Greatest Love of All,” in which Nadia displays her powerhouse talent, and her favorite cut “You Untie My Wings” — “I like this song because it encourages you to overcome adversity,” — Avery’s favorite “Believe” and Michael’s favorite “Lord I Want to Thank You.” Cole feels “Father Who Cares,” which is the first single with their label Tate Music Group, will be a big hit. “The message in this song is for everyone: you may not have a physical father, but you do have a Father, a heavenly Father, who cares,” he said.

In March 2010, the family moved from Highland, NY to Branson, Mo., and performs before awe-inspired audiences who, as Osbourne was, are often moved to tears. If you’d like to experience the Voices of Glory live, attend their CD release party at 8 p.m., Jan. 7 at the Icon Theatre, 3307 W. 76 Country Blvd., in Branson.

So, who would the Voices of Glory most love to perform with? What songs inspire them? Their answers may surprise you.

Nadia: “Musically I look up to CeCe Winans, Mary Mary, Kirk Franklin and Carrie Underwood. I love gospel music.”

Avery: “I love the song ‘I Hope You Dance.’ It’s so inspirational.”

Michael: “I listen to Anthony Hamilton, The Black Eyed Peas, Kirk Franklin … I’d love to perform with Stevie Wonder. Not only does he create great music, he’s had such longevity. I also look up to Andre 3000 [of the group Outkast]. He plays like 13 instruments. I ‘d like to talk to him … ‘to pick his brain.’”

For more information about the Voices of Glory, future performances and/or to purchase their CD “Voices of Glory,” visit their website voicesofglory2020.com or e-mail Gerard Cole at globalgospelmanagement@gmail.com.

This article appeared in AY magazine Jan 2011

Tips to Market you Music

2010-12-30T09:12:00.000-08:00

"Marketing is all the activities and processes of planning, communicating and executing a product, with a price, the promotion and the placement of an item to an end user. Your music is your product which you are then supplying to the end user - the music fan. Between you and the fan is a big space on how to bridge this gap. You may think that if you just get a record deal with some label, your prayers are answered and this instant bridge is built across that space. This is for the most part, not how things work today.

As an aspiring indie or unsigned singer, songwriter, or a musician in a band you can not do just a few things to promote yourself and expect success in your music career. Offline and online music promotion and marketing exposure is an ongoing process in this DIY age. Music companies are looking for artists that already have fan bases, sold CDs, and are proven ready to move up to a higher level." The best thing about Tate Music Group is that we as a label help artist start from the beginning but also have the capabilities to pick up and move from any position an artist is in. The bold statement is so true. If you think you are going to get discovered by a label and they are going to do everything for you from the start you are crazy. If you don't have a large following, play multiple events a week and have a sales history, you are dead in the water. TMG is the only label in the world willing to help an artist at any level of their career as long as they are willing to work. Between Variance Magazine, Radio ads, TV ads, Radio promotion, booking agents, publicists, personal marketing reps, production, design and one of the largest distribution partners in North America TMG has every ability to produce, market, promote and distribute your music.

"Presented here are more than 100 tips and ideas for you to think about and tweak as you will, to get noticed, gain fans, and get heard. You have to find a way to stand above the crowd, for talent alone is not enough."

Click here to read the rest of the article.

10 Essential Tips for Making a Living with Your Music

2010-12-29T09:17:00.000-08:00

By: Christopher Knab

http://ow.ly/3vICE

Everybody loves Top 10 Lists, from David Letterman's countdowns, to the Huffington Post's top 10 this and that. It’s a fun way to maintain the illusion that in a complex world, things can be simpified, or dumbed-down.

So...Let's play along. Why not a Top Ten List on the subject of Making A Living From Your Music?

The following list highlights 10 habits you should develop if you want to make a consistent living from your music. I can honestly say that these habits are the habits of successful musicians I have known and admired:

1) Find ways to get ordinary people who love music, to love your music. We live in a time when everybody and their sister can and does make their own music. That doesn't mean, however, that your music has what it takes for record labels to invest their money and time developing, promoting, and marketing that music.

Try your music out on "music fans" in the same way you would solicit opinions from A&R Rep. Talent scouts in the music industry are always following tips they hear from their street connections. But remember, your music must truly stand out in some significant, original, dynamic, and creative way. 95% of the independently produced CDs out there contain regurgitated ideas that were ripped off from some other more gifted musicians.

So prove to the industry that ordinary music fans in your city love your music.

You can do this by giving away samples of your music and putting some of your songs on the many internet websites that allow people to download or sample new music. If people love something they let other people know about it. So, you can find out quickly if your music has what it takes to please the public by giving away your music, for a while, until there is a real demand for it. Then continue to give away your music, but in a more controlled or limited way.(Perhaps give away a song or two for a limited time on you website, or through MySpace and/or Facebook.) You will sense when the time has come to control this habit and charge a reasonable fee for access to your music.

2) Play live often and don’t worry ( at first) about getting paid for every gig. You can always tell the difference between a musician who is in it for the money, and a musician who is in it for the music. The dedicated musician can’t not play music every chance they get. Money-focused musicians whine about the fact that they can't get club gigs that pay anything. If you really think that you can make your living solely as a musician in the first three to four years of your career, you are headed for a breakdown and disappointment. Think about it.... almost every legendary, gifted musician who has made a mark on our culture has been a musician who struggled long and hard at their craft, and never gave up. Eat determination for breakfast! Go out there and play on the streets if you have to, play at schools, fairs, festivals, do benefits to help other people and organizations. Offer your services to non-profits, charities, church groups, and any other companies or organizations you can think of. Hang out at clubs, look for jamming possibilities, or start your own jam sessions. Look around your city or town, and you will see many places and venues where musicians can play. As you establish yourself and more and more people show up at your shows, the paid gigs will increase. Remember... play live, and then after you play live, play live again, that’s what musicians are supposed to do.

3) Know your instrument inside-out. One of the curious developments of the late 1970’s was the huge increase in garage bands, punk bands, rappers, and "do-it-your-self-ers", who just picked up an instrument, or started to sing with some friends, and 6 months later recorded a record and began to play live. Some great music, and new directions in music, came out of that situation. But now, 30 odd years later, the novelty of hearing amateurish thrashings has gotten a bit dull.

Prior to late 70’s, more often than not, the music that is our heritage was made by musicians who, from the time they took up their instrument, worshiped at the feet of some master bluesman, jazz player, folk legend, songwriter, or whatever. The habit of these inspired musicians was an appetite for perfection. A need to be not just "good enough", but GREAT. Why settle for less? Whatever developing stage you are at, go beyond it, re-commit yourself to your instrument or voice. Take lessons, or better yet, sit yourself down at your CD player and choose a favorite musicians record, and listen closely to what they are playing. then re-play it, and re-play it again. Challenge yourself to go beyond your limitations. Who knows, maybe you will fall into some new territory, wherein you will find yourself, your "sound", and increase your chance to stand out from all the mediocrity that is your competition.

Believe it or not, record labels love to hear innovative, accessible new sounds. Actually in their heart of hearts, that is what they are really hoping to hear on every new demo, and from every new act they go see at a live venue. You see, in the business of music, when we hear something new, original, and accessible to people, we can then invest in you with more security, believing that if we put our "label brand" on you, with our talents of promotion and marketing coming to the front, then we "have something", and your music becomes our music, and we work together to broaden you audience appeal. It’s kinda like a partnership... something about "Art and Commerce"... they can work together you know?!

4) Protect your investment... register your songs for proper copyright protection. I never cease to be amazed how few artists are willing to spend $40 to register their songs with the Copyright office. By the way, these folks are often the same folks who complain about not getting paid to perform their unknown music. All I know is that when an inventor comes up with some new product that they think will appeal to a certain type of customer, the first thing they do is file for a patent on their invention. The same reaction to protecting songs should be there for any serious songwriter. If you really intend to work hard and develop your career as a musician who writes your own songs, don’t wait too long to take care of this simple, but essential task. If you really believe in your unique and original music then take the time to learn the basics of copyright protection. From the Internet to the library, there's an easy way to learn what it takes to file for copyright protection. Do it now! Go to www.copyright.gov

5) Design and write your promotional materials so they stand out. The topic of designing and writing effective promotional materials; bios, fact sheets, cover letters, quote sheets, website and blog pages etc. is a lengthy one to say the least. As far as some tips that can help musicians promote their careers, and contribute to their getting any deal offers, is to make the promo materials as compelling, and informative as possible. Take the time to inventory any accomplishments, positive reviews, training and awards, past sales, and live appearance highlights; and organize them into professional written documents that you have saved for you website, MySpace and/or Facebook accounts. Having done that, time also needs to be taken to research who to send the materials to, and to ask each potential recipient what type of information they would like to have sent to them. No "generic" kits should ever be created. let alone sent to any gatekeepers in the music business.

6) Know the labels and music publishers you hope to be signed to. If you were applying for a job with a certain company of corporation, wouldn’t you take some time to ask questions about their stability as a business, their reputation in the industry, and the executives background and experience? The same is true when you are approached by any reliable music industry company. Some musicians get so excited when a certain label approaches them with a recording contract offer, or a publishing company offers to sign them. Being approached for a deal is a compliment and recognition by a label or publisher that a musician’s music is attractive to them. But, to rush ahead without taking the time to learn a few things about them is foolish indeed. Ask... how have they done with your particular genre of music? What specific "points" are they offering you? Who runs the label or publishing company? What is their reputation in the music business? How do you like them as people? These and other questions can be crucial in making an unemotional decision about an arrangement that could make or break your career.

7) Have your own ‘Entertainment Law Attorney’ to represent you. The business of getting signed to any deal in the music business has always had, has now, and will always have, the involvement of entertainment law attorneys. No jokes will be inserted here, because any relationship between a musician, a record label, a publisher, a merchandiser etc. will come down to two attorneys hashing out the contract for the musician and the respective companies involved. It should be pointed out here that when all is said in done with the "courting" process, the musician is never present during the actual negotiations. The musicians attorney and the music company’s attorney meet, talk over the phone, and fax/email or snail mail their offers and counter-offers amongst themselves. This fact serves to remind you that choosing a reputable, ethical, well respected attorney with lots of deal-making experience within the music industry is an absolute necessity for any serious musician who wishes to fight the good fight in the legal arena.

8) Choose a well-connected and respected personal manager. Great artist managers are becoming a thing of the past. Self-management is always a valid option in the developing stages of establishing your career as a musician. Much can be learned by taking on the jobs of securing gigs, getting some publicity, planning tours, dealing with personal issues that arise within the band, and schmoozing with A&R Reps and various other label and publishing personnel. However, there comes a time, usually when the daily tasks of doing the business of being a band takes up too much time, and it is at this time that the services of a good manager can be very useful. I have always felt that if any musician or band has worked hard to establish their career, and achieved a modicum of success, they will have a better chance to "attract" the services of a professional, well-connected and respected manager.

Managers who do this job for a living can only take on clients that generate income. Making money as a personal manager is no easy task, and many upcoming artists forget that if any monenies are to be generated from their music, it can takes years for the flow of that income to be reliably there. So, as a band develops self-management, or gets help from intern/student manager-wannabees, this can help pave the road for professional management.

Over the years I have heard several horror stories about "managers" that approach upcoming acts and say that for X amount of dollars, they can do such and such for the artist. No... this is not the way legit personal managers work. Well-connected and respected personal managers get paid a negotiated fee for their services (get it in writing) for any and all business transactions they are responsible for (15%-25%) over a particular contract period. No musicians should ever pay a fee to a so-called "manager" who will not do any work UNLESS they are paid up front. Flim-Flam men and women still abound in this business... be forewarned.

One of the most important jobs of a manager is to secure recording and publishing contracts for their clients, this is why it is so essential to choose well connected and well respected managers. The music business is a "relationship" business. Who know who, and who can get to know who, and who did what successfully for who... is what this management game is all about. Choose carefully those people who will be representing you in any business dealings.

9) Don’t take advice from anyone unless you know that they know what they are talking about. At the beginning of this article I stated that these 10 tips were just my comments from years of dealing with the business itself and many musicians. Everybody has their own list of Do's and Don'ts and the only real value they have is that they present you with "opinions" about what to do to get established as a musician.

To be quite candid, the best rules in the music business comes from the experience of building your own career; learning from your own interactions with the gatekeepers at labels, the media, management, and booking companies as to what is right or wrong for you. For every Do or Don’t there is an exception to a so-called "rule". As I reflect on the advice I sought out and listened-to over the years, the most valid tips came from people who walked the walk, and talked the talk. If you feel that the source you have contacted knows what they are talking about, and has had first hand experience doing what you want to learn about, that is the only feedback that might stand up over time. Choose carefully.

10) Musician...Educate Thyself! If you want a record deal, learn what a record deal is, and learn something about the business of music. Naive or mis-informed musicians are a menace to themselves. Enough already!

Over the decades there have been countless stories of musicians who were ripped off by their record labels and music publishing companies. Why? Exploitation was the name of the game for a long time. Keeping musicians in the dark was standard business practice. However, the past has passed, and today any musicians who sign a record contract (and learns later what he or she signed) have only themselves to blame. Even 20 years ago, it wasn’t that easy to gain access to the inner workings of the music business. (There are more letters in the word business than in the word music.)

Today there are dozens of outstanding books available on every conceivable topic related to the business of music. They can be found in bookstores, libraries, and through the Internet. In addition, there are many schools that now offer 2- 4 year programs on the business of music. Seminars, and workshops are available on a year round basis in most major American cities. Consultants, Attorneys, and Business Organizations are all around and so it is only myth, superstition, stubbornness, and immaturity that stand in the way of any musician making a commitment to educating themselves about the business that exists to exploit their music.

I cannot stress how important I feel this issue is. I am here to tell you, one and all, that you have been told many things about music that you did believe. "Spend money on quality instruments and equipment"... you have done that. "Spend time and money on practicing and rehearsing", you have done that, for the most part."Spend time and money finding the best recording studio, producer and engineer you can"... you have done that. "Spend time and money learning all you can about the business of music"... well, no one told you to do that did they?!

It has been said about education that we don’t know anything until someone tells us. If that is true, the fault in "not telling" musicians that they MUST spend some time and money on educating themselves on music business issues is the fault of the businessmen and women who kept their clients uninformed. (Ignorance IS bliss as far as the old guard of music executives are concerned). But,KNOWLEDGE IS BLISS should be the byword for the musician of the new millennium. Please...spend some time and money educating yourselves about the music business, a few hours now, can protect your future forever!

Tate Music Group

ITunes No. 8 Most Popular Web Page on Christmas Day

2010-12-27T10:38:00.000-08:00

Billboard.biz

By Glenn People

iTunes Page Sees Christmas Boost

-- The iTunes download page was the eighth most popular web page on Christmas day, as ranked by Alexa.com. That rank is on pace with previous years -- it was No. 7 and No. 8 on Christmas in 2008 and 2009, respectively. The fact that the iTunes download page was trending and in the top ten at Alexa.com that day suggests Apple products and gift cards were popular Christmas items again this year. That download page is not regularly in Alexa's top ten. In fact, it quickly fell to No. 38 the day after Christmas.

On Alexa's "Hot Products" on Christmas was the iPod Touch 8GB (at No. 8) and three music titles: Katy Perry's "Teenage Dream" (No. 6), Kings of Leon's "Come Around Sundown" (No. 7), Bruno Mars' "Doo-Waps and Hooligans" (No. 9) and Maroon 5's "Hands All Over" (No. 10).

Tate Music Group has a store site on our website that allows customers to purchase physical CD's as well as digital downloads.

Do Videos Increase SEO

2010-12-21T07:49:00.000-08:00

I get this question all of the time at TMG and different search engines calculate SEO differently. But here is a Q&A I found on the web about the subject.

Q: I've been told that Google and the like will rate your website higher if there is some sort of video or audio on it (no matter what kind of quality). Does anyone know if this is true or just some of hype?

A: Many times people will increase traffic to their site through the use of videos, because it is the video itself that gets ranked highly. Simply create a video, do the appropriate keyword research/incorporate that in the title, etc -- submit it to various video websites -- and then include a link to your website within the video. When someone does a search, they may see your video, then visit your website.

For a video itself, yes, it can help make your site rank higher. But it is only part of the equation. Google uses a mathematical algorithm in determining how important a site is, and video/audio, etc is only one small portion, i.e., +/- 0.5%.

A: In my opinion it is one of the best things you could do to make your site pop in ranking.

A: I don't think it would be unreasonable to assume that google judges the quality of a site partially based on the variety of media on the site. The more diversified the content on a site, generally the the more informative and accessible it is.

And for a case of example: I have a site that outranks several others in my niche and those sites have more backlinks and more domain age. I attribute this success partially to the video I've posted on my site.(The other sites don't have any video)

Whether or not that is misplaced faith will be tested as I've got another site that I recently added a video to in a different niche. I'll be tracking its success after this minor change.

For other industry info take a look at Music Man's Blog.

Muve Service From Cricket Wireless Could Have Big Impact on Mobile Music

2010-12-20T07:49:00.000-08:00

December 20, 2010 12:00 EST – Record Labels | Global | Digital & Mobile | Retail

By Antony Bruno

Mobile companies have not fared particularly well offering their own music services. But prepaid operator Cricket Wireless hopes to buck this trend with the introduction of a new branded mobile music service called Muve, set to go live sometime in January.

Who? Cricket may only have about five million customers nationwide, but this is still an interesting launch to follow that could have significant implications on mobile music strategy if successful.

Let's start with the service itself. For a fixed monthly fee, users can download an unlimited number of songs and albums to a specially branded Muve music phone. The phone is a customized version of the Samsung Suede that prominently features a dedicated Muve button on the face, which launches the music service. It has licensing deals with all the major labels that include the right to create custom ringtones from every song in the catalog, as well as ringback tones from many as well.

It includes a version of the Shazam music ID service that links tagged songs directly to the Muve music database for downloading. A My DJ feature offers a cached automated playlist curated by the Muve staff and refreshed daily. The Get Social feature lets users share songs and playlists with other Muve users. And a cool Shout feature lets users embed music in text messages via a link that will stream the whole song when sent to other Muve users but only a 30-second sample to others.

Downloads are lightning fast -- less than 10 seconds -- and all the services are governed by a slick, easy-to-understand user interface. Unlike other mobile music services that slap mobile access to an existing online service, Muve was built from the ground up specifically for mobile by the Wilshire Media Group, led by former Virgin Digital president Zack Zalon.

Here's the kicker though: it's a mobile-only service. There's no Web version or dual downloads, or any of those hybrid mobile/online capabilities that other mobile music services have. Stop paying and you lose your music. But rather than treating this like a fault, Cricket touts it as a badge.

For more on the article go to Billboard.biz.

Tate Music Group, Variance Magazine, Chris Rutherford

Why Social Media Matters to Artists: Part Two

2010-12-17T13:20:00.000-08:00

Why Social Media Matters to Artists: Part Two

Posted by Tate Music Group to tate music group

by Jonathan Robles, Exclusive to TMG

(Note: The preceding article is a follow-up piece to last month's TMG feature Why Social Media Matters to Artists.)

The music business today isn't what it was 20 years ago. It's not even what it was ten years ago. To some that's a bad thing and to other's it's pretty good. When the 2011 Grammy nominations were announced this month, 50% of the nods went to independent artists. While some might say it's only half, in comparison to a decade ago it's a dramatic jump forward.

There are two things that stand out about the growing presence of independent music in mainstream (besides the blurring definition of "indie"): First, more musicians are choosing non-traditional alternatives to the powerhouse labels. And artists who have previously gone the traditional routes are turning their backs on those methods. Another fact is that the means by which we share music and connect with musicians have changed.

As mentioned in the first part of this feature, your music career is your business. A recent study revealed that 94% of companies do not use social media channels to gather customer feedback. Instead they rely on email and phone surveys. (When is the last time you participated in an email or phone survey?) Meanwhile, as Billboard has proven to be true, there is a noticeable correlation between the top artists in sales and the top artists on social media.

Pat Monahan, the frontman of Train, says that "if you don't have a Twitter account, you're not going to do as well as you think." And for the most part, he's right.. Minus a few accomplished bands, the biggest touring acts and chart-toppers have constantly been churning out tweets and online "exclusives."

So, what does that mean to everyone else?

You have to start somewhere. Pick three social media channels. (Or start with one!) Don't just create the account. Complete the profile (and put yourself in the position of a fan--or potential fan!--when they view your page). If it's a Facebook or Myspace page, make sure you have music samples. Do you read ten paragraphs of bio information? They won't either. You can even sync your pages so that you only have to update one of them. Start a blog, like Posterous.
Connect with people. Do you have an email list or 50 contacts in your personal Gmail? Search Twitter or Facebook to find out how many of them are on those sites and follow them. Once you follow people, talk to them. Both Twitter and Facebook suggest other friends based on your current connections. Use these tools. If you're a jazz artist in upstate New York or a country singer from Tampa, connect with people in your area first. Then build on those connections.
Listen. The Facebook generation is very familiar with updating their status every hour. While this might also come naturally to entertainers, don't forget to observe. If you're a musician just starting out or trying to build your fan base, it is especially important for you to have two-way conversations online. If a new fan follows you on Twitter, follow them back.
Don't start, and then stop. It's very easy to give in to hype, create a Facebook page, update excitedly for a few weeks, then phase out because you get bored. Adam Smith, whose following is the envy of many in Twitter Nation, recently acknowledged that tweeting often helped him obtain and retain followers.
Be authentic. "Transparency" isn’t just a buzz word; it’s a strategic imperative, which should apply to your social media participation as well as all other aspects of your career or business. You might be your grandmother's favorite rapper, but there are many folks trying to be Jay-Z. Be you. Follow back. "Re-tweet" others. And follow the Pareto principle (the 80-20 rule): Spend 80% of your time in social media activities that are not self-promotional and 20% or less on activities that are self-promotional.
Contribute something. A quick online search will tell you that there are millions of music artists in the pool today. If you're trying to make even a splash in the industry, you have to set yourself apart. When it comes to new media, think about your fans. If your content doesn’t add value to your audience’s lives, they won’t talk about it and share it with their own audiences.
Establish goals. Determine to update your Facebook and/or Twitter three times a week and blog twice a month. Don't commit to more than you can handle, but challenge yourself. Reach out to a set number of people online each day or week. Define your "niche" and focus your efforts accordingly.
Be realistic. A common thought on Twitter is, "if I only had more followers..." If more people thought of Twitter followers kind of like money, they'd realize they wouldn't know what to do with 1 million. Even the Bible says that whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with very much. Remember, the people that follow you on Twitter are still people. Don't think of them as numbers. And keep in mind that most Twitter users with large followings probably have accomplishments outside of Twitterland. Many folks see 1,000 or 100,000 followers and they want to duplicate that, just like many folks see a millionaire or billionaire and they wish they could just snag a quick million or billion. Building a social media base is not easy. Don't ever let someone convince you that it is. It's not just a matter following a bunch of people and hoping they follow you back. Honestly, when you see someone with a "successful" social media presence, that person has probably done a whole lot more offline than online.
Network, build relationships, network, build relationships. Connect with like-minded people. Join communities. Go to other shows. Talk to others with similar interests who are in a similar phase of life. Life still requires that you reap what you sow. Sow good seeds offline. When others in the industry ask for favors, oblige them. (Favors usually have a nice way of being returned.) Perform live every chance you get...live events are still the cash cow. Remember, if no one knows who you are, they can't search for you online, they can't follow you on Twitter, and they can't find your music.

Ultimately, social media efforts reflect what we probably already know.. Lady Gaga may be the "queen of Twitter", but she's also topping charts, selling millions of albums, and winning Grammys. If a business has a problem online, chances are the problem didn't start there. If an artist a dozen "likes" on Facebook, there's probably more than can be done offline. But for the time being, treat those 12 people like they are the world...Don't discount a small online network. I'll be the first one to tell you, you'd be surprised how powerful that small, well-preserved network can be. Thanks to new media like Variance Magazine and an evolving industry, it's really anybody's game. And it's not too late to start...

Also check out Music Man's blog.

Importance of Blogging to Increase SEO

2010-12-13T09:33:00.000-08:00

When I talk to artist at TMG about marketing I first and foremost tell them that this is their business. If you don't think it is or treat it that way you will not be successful. One of the aspects small business face all of the time is how to expose their business to the masses. One way is by increasing your SEO. Meaning when someone searches for keywords in Google you want to be on that first page that pops up. One way is by blogging. Think of it in terms of having a street team of bloggers. The more information and content that is on the web about an artist the higher their rank appears. Be sure to add key words, link backs and connect to as many people as possible.

Blog Well, Blog Often, Make Friends

All other SEO tricks and tips aside, the best way to increase traffic is to have a continuous stream of compelling and well written content. Stay true to this, and you will not only earn new readers, you will keep the ones you already have. You should also make friends to increase the likelihood of people linking to your site. Search engines keep track of how many times your page is linked to, so as a general rule, the more links to your blog, the better.

For other great blog entries check out Music Man's Blog.

Regie Hamm Guests on Trinity Broadcasting Networks

2010-12-12T12:41:00.000-08:00

Regie Hamm (far right) onset for TBN's "Praise The Lord" with Clay Crosse, and guest host, Russ Taff.

REGIE HAMM GUESTS TONIGHT

ON TRINITY BROADCASTING NETWORK’S “PRAISE THE LORD”

December Caps Meaningful Year of Books, Music, & New Vision For Special Needs Children

(Nashville, Tennessee) –December 10, 2010 – Regie Hamm will guest tonight on the Trinity Broadcasting Network’s flagship “Praise The Lord,” for a special Christmas segment spotlighting his ongoing media connectivity with his first major book release, Angels & Idols (Tate Publishing.).

In an extended segment hosted by Russ Taff, Hamm, a multi-platinum songwriter/producer/artist who has four times been honored as “SESAC Songwriter of the Year,” re-tells the remarkable journey that led to his decision to write the book.

In the midst of a successful chain in music that included 20 #1 hits to his credit, the 2003 adoption of the Hamm’s baby daughter, Bella, from a Chinese orphanage was the beginning of a dramatic story that could only be torn from the pages of real life. Discovering their baby suffered from a rare genetic disorder known as Angelman Syndrome, the book recounts the family’s struggles to overcome enormous emotional and financial obstacles to ultimately gain a miracle.

Angels & Idols is available nationally at bookstores everywhere from the Tate Publishing and Tate Music Group.

Regie, writer of the 2008 American Idol winning song, The Time of My Life, recorded by David Cook, is himself now back at radio.

"Orphan's Lullaby" is connecting with listeners this Christmas with a poignant message Regie penned in hopes of encouraging a world of listeners to turn their hearts toward the real meaning of Christmas through the awareness of the needs of children globally.

In the midst of a busy 2010, Regie’s “3^rd Annual Bella Bash”—a yearly event he has founded to benefit children with special needs—was an October sell-out in Nashville that brought an array of industry, sponsors, artists and even the attention of America’s leading radio voice, Delilah, in support of Regie’s mission.

His message with media has in recent months reached a broad sweep of national audiences from CBN’s “700 Club,” to Fox New Channel’s “Red Eye.”

Ahead in 2011, Regie will continue the development of The Angel Wings Foundation, an organization he has founded this year as a joint venture with Nashville’s Vanderbilt Kennedy Center. The Foundation plans to establish an Angel Center in Nashville where children battling profound mental and/or genetic disabilities can find comprehensive medical therapies, diagnosis and support. The center will be the first of its kind in the U.S.

Ashley Windham

2010-12-09T13:56:00.000-08:00

Acoustic pop vocalist Ashley Windham landed a record deal in a most unconventional manner: by not even expecting one

Stephen Carradini
December 08, 2010

It’s every artist’s dream: Finish a set, and an impressed stranger walks up and offers a record deal. Any number of bands will tell you it doesn’t happen that way, but Oklahoma City singer/songwriter Ashley Windham won’t. That’s how she ended up signed to Tate Music Group.

“I was playing a gig at The Mantel,” she said. “There was a party going on.”

That party was attended by Brianne Webb, A&R director for Tate.

“I’m always listening to music while I’m out,” said Webb, whose ears perked up at Windham’s acoustic guitar and dusky alto pipes. Webb struck up a conversation with Windham between sets, and kept the conversation going with Windham’s father, who was acting as her manager.

Two weeks later, Windham was officially signed to the Mustang-based, national record label.

“It all happened quickly,” Webb said.

The speed is not the only rare element of Windham’s signing, as Tate rarely scouts for new talent. Many artists submit their work to the label for distribution, but only 8 percent are accepted.

Windham’s sound clarifies some of the mystery behind her quick turn of events. Her adult contemporary pop style includes several influences that strike a chord in modern listeners’ ears.

“Her originals would appeal to pop fans and country fans. She would appeal to wide audiences,” said Webb. “She has good lyrics about relationships — and a girl’s take on them — that girls would relate to.”

The new material Windham is working on with guitarist John Cross incorporates even more sounds.

“We want it to sound more folky and funky,” Windham said. “We’ll have some calmer songs, but we want people to get up and dance.”

That work ethic is another piece of the puzzle in her overnight success. For the first thing, “overnight” is a relative term; she’s been playing for eight years in both Texas and Oklahoma.

“She works hard,” Webb said. “She knows that it’s hard work, playing small venues on weeknights. But she was playing out, and it got her a record deal.”

That deal led her not only to April’s release of “Hand Picked,” but CD signings, placement in national book and music retailers like Barnes & Noble, and even a nationally televised commercial which played on MTV, Fuse and Spike TV.

“Coming from nowhere, and not winning a contest or anything, it’s all about marketing,” Windham said.

But she hasn’t let all the exposure go to her head.

“She knows she’s talented, but she’s not this diva artist,” Webb said. “She’s passionate. She believes in her music.”

Keeping her tempered is the knowledge that she’s not where she wants to be yet. Windham, a music and social studies teacher by day, hasn’t made the jump to full-time artist, but is working on it. She hopes to release a new EP in late spring 2011, as well as keep playing shows as a duo, trio or full band, depending on the event.

“That’s what I’ve been working with Tate on: getting my name out so my music can grow and grow and grow,” Windham said.

Variance Issue 3 - VersaEmerge

2010-12-07T08:29:00.000-08:00

VersaEmerge lands the cover of Variance Magazines third issue due out Jan 1 at www.variancemagazine.com.

Variance Magazine is a Tate Music Group Publication for the people by the people. Variance wants and publishes articles from the fans because we care about what you have to say. Unlike every other magazine out there we rely on our readers to tell us whats cool, whats going on and whats important to them.

Keep up to date with Variance by following us on twitter.

Voices Of Glory excel at TM

2010-12-07T08:17:00.000-08:00

Tate Music Group artists Voices Of Glory have set a precedence by selling more than 4,500 CDs in record time. Slated for release on January 4, 2011, the rapid advance sales of their self-titled debut have already authorized the return of their artist investment - meaning their project was recorded and is being marketed and distributed for free.

The inspirational and international recording artists are actually the Cole family trio of siblings known individually as Nadia, 10, Avery 14, and Michael, 18. The group came to fame as a result of a string of acclaimed performances on the smash NBC TV show America’s Got Talent. The start of their remarkable journey was inspired by love in the face of tragedy transcended into miracle when their mother Felicia Cole fell into a coma for 8 months. In 2007, when on her way home from class to achieve a fourth advanced degree, she was hit head-on by a drunk driver and severely injured. In response to the devastating news, the children decided they would sing at their mother's bedside in the hope that she would recognize their voices.

“People love these kids wherever they go. They work hard, they are respectful and honest and they have a team behind them that works even harder. I haven’t talked to one person that has had an unpleasant experience with VOG. From the kids, parents to the management team they are a first class operation all the way”, said Chris Rutherford Director of Music Marketing at TMG.

More than an idea for a hit song, belief is an omnipresent theme for the Cole family.

VOG manager and uncle, Gerard Cole said about their ascending success, “You have to be committed to your project and believe in it and what TMG can do for you … to get the job done. TMG can only do what you allow them to do. I was consistently involved with Tate and Tate has consistently been involved with us. If you follow the steps of their program, it will come together. Bottom line, it’s about believing … it’s important to concentrate on what you can do through press, marketing and social networking, Gerard Cole said.

At times, Cole said there were anxieties with TMG’s unique though undeniably successful process.

“The recording part was uncertain,” said Gerard Cole. “I wanted to move faster but Tate had a system,” Cole continued chuckling, “I didn’t have as much patience as the people in the Midwest. They are very laid back.”

The investment was another consideration, Cole added. Many outsiders openly scoffed at the idea of paying to record and release their own music versus the more traditional record label system, he said. Undeterred, Cole was already familiar having employed the same tactic of personal investment with his own daughter when it came time for college. According to Cole, your actions illustrate your commitment to the task.

As for VOG, the Tate offer has been strictly beneficial, Cole said.

“Each and every dept has been very supportive. When it was done absolutely everyone told me this is a very professional package,” Cole said. “I pressed harder but if you have money invested, make calls and get it right. Don’t complain if you don’t reach out. You have to be on top of own game. Strive for perfection; be patient but strive for perfection. Make sure each stage is at its best and correct for every level. When you get to the end, you will see it all come together and you will be satisfied.

“We haven’t even scratched the surface,” Cole said.

VOG sell 2500 CD's in three weeks

2010-12-01T11:35:00.000-08:00

Another TMG artist hits the 2500 units sold mark.

Voices of Glory were a top 5 finalist on the hit TV show Americas Got Talent two seasons ago. They signed a record deal with TMG in 2009 and are due to release their debut album Jan 4th through nationwide distribution and have already moved through 2500 CD's within three weeks of the product being complete.

VOG are currently performing two nights a week in Branson MO and have stayed busy booking events around the nation.

They truly understand the value that TMG provides. Since Tate's Music contract allows the artist to gain 70% - 85% profit on physical sales it is beneficial to the artist to move units at live performances.

Billboard Reports on Black Friday Music Sales

2010-12-01T07:52:00.000-08:00

The Early Look: Black Friday Music Sales Recap November 27, 2010

Billboard.biz

Tate Music Group was hopeful for robust shopping on Black Friday, and why not? Overall consumer interest was up from last year, indie retail rolled out special exclusives from artists like U2, Metallica, and the Gaslight Anthem, and a full roster of new superstar releases just hit the shelves - Kanye West's "My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy," Nicki Minaj's "Pink Friday" and Ke$ha's "Cannibal," to name a few. What are the early results? Until the hard sales data is in, here's a look at how select stores performed and insight into some of the top sellers from a sampling of markets on Friday.

BARNES & NOBLE The Shops at Riverside, 187 Riverside Square, Hackensack, N.J.

Foot traffic (1 - 5 scale, 5 the highest): 1.5 Featured specials: Susan Boyle, "The Gift," $12.99; Jackie Evancho, "O Holy Night," $8.99; Josh Groban, "Illuminations," $16.99 The scene: By providing only modest discounts on new releases, Barnes & Noble didn't offer much to draw music shoppers to the store. Not surprisingly, the Hackensack, N.J., store's second-floor music section was nearly deserted at midday. In a 15-minute span, we saw only three customers perusing music titles. Biggest sellers: Susan Boyle, "The Gift"; Rod Stewart, "Fly Me To The Moon: The Great American Songbook Volume V"; Josh Groban, "Illuminations."

BEST BUY 1100 N Galleria Drive, Middletown, N.Y. Foot traffic: Store 4, music department 2 Featured specials: Carole King & James Taylor "Live At The Troubadour;" Rihanna "Loud;" Keith Urban "Get Closer;" Katy Perry "Teenage Dream;" Bon Jovi "Greatest Hits;" Maroon 5 "Hands All Over;" each 6.99 each. The scene: It was clear that this store was well shopped during the day: the music section was sparsely stocked and many titles were out of place. Best sellers: No word from the clerks on the best selling titles of the day, though many titles appeared to be sold out, including new albums and/or the latest by Usher, Drake, Big Boi, Avenge Sevenfold, Tom Petty, Rick Ross, Eminem, Justin Bieber, Dierks Bently, Tech N9ne, Lee Dwyze and Ozzy Osbourne.

BORDERS 281 Daniel Webster Hwy, Nashua, N.H.

Foot traffic: 4 compared to a normal day, 3 compared to other Black Fridays, according to Borders clerk Eric Valentine. Featured specials: $6.99-$9.99 pricing on hit releases. The scene: Clerks reported high sales on Friday, though there were just a few customers in the music section during midday when Billboard was there. The store's music section - which is on the second floor and in the mix with DVDs, Blu rays and books – had two racks of specially priced titles close to the stairs (pictured) and in plain sight. Biggest sellers: “I just had to re-stock Taylor Swift, and we’re Borders, so we’ve sold a lot of Susan Boyle and Michael Buble’ today,” said Valentine.

F.Y.E. Galleria at Crystal Run, Middletown, N.Y. Foot traffic: 3.5 Featured specials: The chain was featuring the new and/or latest albums by Lady Antebellum, Darious Rucker, Katy Perry, Mumford & Sons, Waka Flocka Flame, Selena Gomes, Kid Cudi, Godsmack, Taio Cruz, Rick Ross, Jason Derulo and Hollywood Undead, all at $7.99. The scene: This is one of the chain's superstores, measuring about 15,000 square feet. Music is deeply stocked throughout the store, but it had very little of the front space by the cash registers. At 2:45 pm, there were about 85 customers in the store and by 3:00 there were about 115 customers browsing. There were small but consistent lines of about 10 customers at the registers that moved briskly during that time. The store opened at 5 am and about 20 customers were waiting in line at that time, one clerk said. Most of the doorbusters were in the portable electronics. Most of the music end-caps seemed to be well stocked, probably due to the plentiful store staff, some of whom were seen replenishing items around the store and returning stock to its proper place (That was something not seen in any of the other N.Y. stores visited that day). Biggest sellers: A store clerk reported that the new Nicki Minaj was the best selling title for the day, but said that movies were the big movers, due to the bargains.

F.Y.E. The Mall at Whitney Field, Leominster, Mass.

Foot traffic: 5 compared to a normal day (“one of the busiest of the year, easily, so far,” according to a clerk) and on par with last year’s Black Friday. Featured specials: Pricing specials were at $6.99 for CDs from artists like Justin Bieber, Melissa Ethridge, Hole and Johnny Cash, and $9.99 for titles by Ne-Yo, Jay-Z, Dane Cook and others. The scene: Set inside a popular area mall, the store was jammed with customers browsing music, DVDs and merchandise. Though a major portion of floor space is devoted to music in this F.Y.E., the front of the store was clearly pushing DVDs and other items. Customers needed to walk past six other racks or bins of goods to see the discounted music specials after walking in the store (pictured). Biggest sellers: Titles by Taylor Swift, Rihanna and Nicki Minaj were “going like gangbusters,” according to one clerk.

F.Y.E. 91 Route 4 East, Paramus, N.J.

Foot traffic: 3.5 Featured specials: $7.99 sale price for: Katy Perry "Teenage Dream," Darius Rucker "Charleston SC 1966," Lady Antebellum "Need You Know," Mumford & Sons "Sigh No More," Taio Cruz, "Rokstarr" and others. The scene: This store was attracting a steady, but not overwhelming, number of customers in the early afternoon -- still a pretty impressive feat given that it's a standalone store that isn't located inside or adjacent to any of Bergen County's many shopping malls. Customers here tend to linger and browse more than they would at a big box store. Biggest sellers: Jay-Z, "The Hits Collection, Vol. 1"; Kanye West, "My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy"; Ne-Yo, "Libra Scale."

GRIMEY'S 1604 8th Ave. South, Nashville

Foot traffic: A long line had formed before the store opened and Grimey’s was jam packed when it opened at 10am. After a frantic hour, traffic had died down but there were still 15-20 people browsing around the store. Featured specials: The Black Friday exclusives at indie retail which, as reported last month, would include special products from U2, Metallica, the Black Keys, Gaslight Anthem and many more. The stores wanted to underscore the day without trying to replicate April's annual Record Store Day event, explained Michael Kurtz, president of Music Monitor Network, last month. "We limited this to less than 30 pieces because we don't want this to be seen as 'Son of Record Store Day.'" He says Record Store Day can have upward of 300 exclusive pieces. The scene: Grimey’s had sales of over $5,000 the first hour it was open, according to co-owner Doyle Davis. The store quickly sold out of its allotments of exclusive vinyl releases by Dr. Dog, Jimi Hendrix, Sharon Jones, Frank Sinata, Gaslight Anthem and the Doors. Customers returned in strong numbers at 4pm for a free performance of Metallica’s “Live at Grimey’s” in its entirety by a cover band called Fade to Black Friday on the same stage Metallica played when the album was recorded. Biggest sellers: Metallica’s “Live at Grimey’s,” U2’s “Wide Awake in Europe,” Jimi Hendrix “Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year,” the Black Keys’ “Brothers Double,” George Harrison’s “All Things Must Pass” 3 LP reissue, and MGMT’s “Congratulations.”

RASPUTIN MUSIC & DVDs 5611 Blackstone Ave., Fresno, Calif.

oot traffic: 2.5

Featured specials: The Black Friday exclusives at indie retail and 50% off music posters. Vinyl exclusives on display included: -- U2, "Wide Awake In America," $9.99 (sold out) -- The Black Keys, "Brothers," $35.99 -- George Harrison, "All Things Must Pass," $53.99 -- Metallica, "Live at Grimey's," $27.99 -- Rod Stewart, "The Lost Album: Once In a Blue Moon," $15.99 -- Iggy Pop & the Stooges, "The Stooges," $42.99 -- Job For A Cowboy, "Ruination," $79.99 -- Parlophone, "Record Store Day," $19.99 -- and 50% of all music posters The scene: At 1:30, the store manager expected things to pick up later, but suspected that shoppers who had started in the early hours of the morning were exhausted by this time. The store was stocked nicely and the Black Friday vinyl table was off to the side of the store near the checkout lines. The 50% off music posters were also situated near the checkout lines. All the hot sellers (Rihanna, Nicki Minaj, Kanye West, Jimi Hendrix) were placed on the end-caps in the front of the store. So, shoppers could see them upon walking into the store. There was a mix of young and older shoppers looking through the various music genres in the CD area, and quite a few shoppers lingering in the vinyl section near the back of the store. Biggest sellers: Rihanna, "Loud," $15.99; Nicki Minaj, "Pink Friday," $12.99; Kanye West, "My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy,"; Jimi Hendrix, "West Coast Seattle Boy: The Jimi Hendrix Anthology," $60.99.

TARGET Galleria at Crystal Run, Middletown, N.Y. Foot traffic: Store: 5, Music department: 2 Featured specials: Lady Antebellum "Lady Antebellum," Guns & Roses "Greatest Hits," and Eminem's "Curtain Call;" each for $6.50. The scene: The store was packed and had a long checkout line. All the aisles were crowded, making it difficult to browse the store. If you wanted to get away from the crowds, the music department was the place to be. In the back of the store, most of the aisles there were empty, but it was clear that it had traffic earlier in the day as the end-caps were half-picked clean. Biggest sellers: Of the featured titles, Nicki Minaj's "Pink Friday" and Josh Groban's "My World" and "2.0" appeared to be sold out. The clerks in the department said they didn't know if there were more of those titles in stock. One clerk said that Nicki Minaj was sold out before Black Friday and Miranda Lambert's "Crazy Ex-Girlfriend" sold out as well. Of the catalog titles, Rascal Flatts "Greatest Hits," "Me And My Gang" and "Unstoppable" were sold out. Also not in stock on the end-caps, according to place cards, Simon & Garfunkel's "Greatest Hits," and Journey's "Greatest Hits," both of which were priced at $6.50. Clerks said the DVD section of the store, right next to the music department, was where the crowd was doing most of the shopping. One clerk pointed to the DVD and Blu-Ray sales as the big draw of the day.

WALMART 66 Parkhurst Rd, Chelmsford, Mass.

Foot traffic: Store: 5, Music department: 1 Featured specials: Certain albums, like Justin Bieber’s “My Worlds Acoustic,” priced at $10. The scene: The $10 specials were given end-cap placement in the music section. This store's music floor space is toward the back and small compared to overall floor space. Two clerks couldn’t give an opinion on how the overall foot traffic in the music department had been that day, nor could they comment on any of the day's best sellers. -- Reporting by Ed Christman, Louis Hau, Glenn Peoples, Mitchell Peters and Chris M. Walsh.

Common Commercial Radio Myths

2010-11-29T08:42:00.000-08:00

The way Tate Music Group is structured we happen to talk to musicians at different stage of the game. Undoubtedly the same misconceptions about radio airplay are apparent to anyone who hasn’t received tons of commercial radio play. I want to clarify that I am talking about Commercial Radio, not the mom and pop station that hasn’t updated their equipment in 20 years. If you have to send a physical CD to the radio station for them to play your music, more than likely they are not a large commercial station. Therefore they are probably not a reporting station and besides the fact that you can get easy spins there it doesn’t really matter.

One Myth is the DJ’s choose what songs are in their rotation. Again we are talking about Commercial Radio. The majority of people in the US listen to commercial regular-rotation radio and on these stations DJ’s have no say at all in what is being played. If you ask a DJ to listen to your music for possible spin consideration they are not allowed to say “No”. At the least it is up to the Program Director and sometimes they are completely out of the mix depending on how large or corporately owned the station is.

Myth – Good songs spread to other stations – Tons of research and money goes into every song you hear on these stations. The DJ’s just make it sound like they picked the record out of a hat, but in turn that is not the case.

Myth – College or Specialty Mix Shows will expand to Commercial – Just because you receive regular spins on a show like this doesn’t mean it will transfer over. Again this is usually just a testing ground and very few make the transfer.

Myth – Request calls will help – Having all of your friends call and request your song really doesn’t help. Your time will be better spent inviting people to your gigs. Stations know which calls are real and which are bands and their friends calling in.

These are just a few of the myths you can find out more by checking out the article on Music Biz Academy.com “Commercial Radio Myths” by Bryan Farrish.

VersaEmerge Lands on the Cover of Variance Issue 3

2010-11-23T07:55:00.000-08:00

"There's a vulture on my shoulder / And he's telling me to give in"

There may be a vulture on Sierra Kusterbeck's shoulder, but she won't be giving in any time soon. The young lead singer of explosive rock band VersaEmerge is a powerhouse of sound and emotion that will not be denied. With the recent release of their first full-length album, Fixed at Zero, VersaEmerge has built momentum that catches up dedicated fans and new listeners alike.

The band just finished up their first headlining tour, "The Vultures Unite Tour," and according to Sierra each night was incredible.

Be sure to log onto Variance Magazine January 1st to see full article plus features on Disciple, Venus Infers, Christopher Moore, Barats and Bereta, KTTK, Michelle Buzz and many more.

Create a Fan Base Through Social Networking

2010-11-23T07:32:00.000-08:00

One of the practices that should consistently be used by artist regardless of where they are in the music game is maximizing the opportunity social networks provide. This is a great way to get your music in front of tons of people. Just think of how many events you would have to play to equal the amount of personal exposure the internet provides. Once an artist is ready for marketing at Tate Music Group, we want to mobilize these networks to spread the word that the project is ready!

There are just a few steps to make this really beneficial to an artist and their project. Anytime you are sending a message, reaching out to someone or requesting anything be sure there is a link in your message back to your websites. Usually you have one opportunity to catch someones attention and you might just catch them at the right time where they feel interested enough to click through to your website and listen to your music. So be sure you don't miss any opportunities to attract a new fan.

(We used this very tactic in promoting Variance Magazine and garnished over 200K hits from it.)

I always suggest to search facebook, Myspace, Twitter and other social sites to find artists or influential people in your genre. Request them as friends, leave comments on their page and search their friends list to do the same. Again you are reaching out to music lovers of the same genre befriending them and asking them to check out your music.

Trust me this works. There are some bands that pride themselves on this. Building a bands social network is vitally important to their future growth. Think of it like building an online street team. These are the people that are going to spread the word about a new single, concert, or CD release.

Very important to remember that once you have fans you have to keep them. That means keeping your websites fresh with content. Do not let it become stale because as quickly as they come they will leave in the same fashion. You have to engage and mobilize social networks for them to be beneficial.

For other great Blog articles check out Music Man's Blog.

Jay Z and Warren Buffet Have More in Common Than One Would Expect

2010-11-15T07:52:00.000-08:00

I was traveling back home to San Diego this last weekend for an early Thanksgiving with my family and I picked up the recent Forbes magazine with Jay Z and Warren Buffet on the cover. I usually try to read Inc., Entrepreneur and magazines focused more on marketing than the 400 wealthiest people in the world, but you have to admit the two individuals on the cover are interesting on their own let alone interacting together.

The article was great and actually the two have more in common than one would think. Steve Forbes led the interview and the three of them talked about business, money, inspiration and the art of giving back.

Check it out here Forbes Article

Day 2 of the Billboard Film and TV Music Conference

2010-11-09T08:27:00.000-08:00

Two interesting points from Day 2 of the The Hollywood Reporter/Billboard Film and TV Music Conference in Los Angeles.

There are more places for indie artists to license their music and get their music out. "Last Call" does look for emerging bands that it can grow with. "It's real A&R when there is no A&R," Daly said. Daly and music booker Davis Powers listen to new artists, scan YouTube and have partnered with L.A. venues like the Hotel Cafe to find new acts. "Yo Gabba Gabba" accepts song submissions and uses some, even though they create most of their own music.

-- More music supervisors are using production music because the rights are all cleared. Production music quality has also improved. Production music companies buy music from indie artists through different types of deals. Getty Images director of music product Larry Mills said, "Once you're in, you're in" and you can write more music for them. Universal Music Production Worldwide president Gary Gross said they sign mostly work-for-hire deals, so they own the rights for the songs. Occasionally production music deal can lead to label deal as it did for Gnarls Barkely on the hit "Crazy."

And They Say People Don't Get Caught

2010-11-09T08:26:00.000-08:00

Jury: Jammie Thomas-Rasset Owes $1.5 Million
November 04, 2010 - Legal and Management

Associated Press

A federal jury has decided that Jammie Thomas-Rasset owes $1.5 million for sharing 24 songs over the Internet.

Jurors determined Wednesday (Nov. 3) that Jammie Thomas-Rasset from Minnesota owes $62,500 per song.

Last year, a federal jury found Thomas-Rasset willfully violated the copyrights on 24 songs. She was ordered to pay $1.92 million in damages, or $80,000 per song.

But Chief U.S. District Judge Michael Davis reduced the verdict to about $54,000 in damages, calling the jury's penalty "monstrous and shocking." The Recording Industry Association of America rejected the reduced penalty, setting up the new trial to determine damages.

The RIAA says in a statement it hopes Thomas-Rasset "finally accepts responsibility for her actions."

A message left for Thomas-Rasset's attorney was not immediately returned.

Tate Music Group Launches Internet Radio Station

2010-11-08T14:45:00.000-08:00

OKLAHOMA CITY – In the two short years since its inception, Tate Music Group has made huge strides in an industry whose future is more and more questionable each day. Taking their next step into future of music, TMG launched their very own internet radio station, TMGRadio, late last week.

Based on Tate’s high number of artists in the Christian music demographic, the station’s content is predominantly a mixture of Christian rock, contemporary, worship, and urban gospel. “We play both the top TMG artists and the best of what is currently on the charts now, from Need to Breathe to Skillet to Lacrae,” Director of Radio Promotions & Development at Tate, Allen Finch, says.

The station will include several daily programs, much like its terrestrial counterparts. According to Finch, several shows and specials are still in the works, but here’s a taste of what listeners can expect from TMGRadio:

“[During] The Morning Drive, we play only the top artists from Christian rock, AC, and CHR charts from 8-9am. At lunch we have The Retro Lunchbox, where we focus on the best Christian music from the 80’s and 90’s. And every Sunday morning we will play great worship music all morning long,” Finch says.

But the sweetheart of the operation is an unorthodox special designed for a little nostalgic inspiration. It’s called The Carman Cure.

“Yes, that is correct. We have a segment dedicated to the king of all Christian music, Carman,” Finch reports. “Every day at 2:30, we play a favorite Carman song to help get listeners over that afternoon hump.”

Whether or not they catch The Carman Cure, listeners can tune into TMGRadio at http://www.tatemusicgroup.com/radio.php. An iPhone app for the station is also being created for listeners on the go.

Record Deals Are Never Free

2010-11-08T14:20:00.000-08:00

The biggest misconception in the music industry is that music deals are full of up front money and equal profit sharing. Again this is a huge misconception! Even though the traditional music labels are dieing daily I recently read an article in Billboard about Marilyn Manson signing a deal with an indie label overseas.

I would have to say that at best less than 1% of musicians are in a category to receive an advance. What also has to be understood is that is an "advance" the record label will hold back any profit to the artist until that advance is recouped. Also remember that it's just not the advance that has to be recouped before the artist starts making money. Any money spent on marketing, distribution, promotion etc... is part of that equation as well.

In reference to Manson's new deal "The structure is a 50-50 profit share after the label recoups its costs, which include an advance paid out to Manson and a major marketing commitment."

Everyone here at Tate Music Group and Variance Magazine continue to stand by our contract as an industry best. Our contract benefits an artist who is not in the public eye from the start to someone like Kenny Rogers, Katy Perry Toby Mac etc... TMG pays 50% on all digital sales and the artists has the ability to make 70 - 80% on physical CD sales.

TMG Radio on Live365.com

2010-11-05T12:19:00.000-07:00

In a continuous effort to promote Tate Music Group artist on the radio TMG has officially launched TMG Radio. This is an internet station where the TMG Radio promotion department controls the content.

The content of the station is predominantly a mixture of Christian rock, contemporary, worship, and even urban. We play both the top TMG artists and the best of what is currently on the charts now (from Need to Breathe to Skillet to Lacrae).

TMG Radio has some special programing as well:

The Morning Drive – we play only the top artists from Christian rock, AC, and CHR charts. 8-9am

The Retro Lunchbox – we focus on the best Christian music from the 80’s and 90’s.

The Carman Cure – yes…that is correct. We have a segment dedicated to the king of all Christian music…and possibly the reason TMG can be TMG…Carman. Every day at 2:30, we play a favorite Carman song…to help get you over that afternoon hump.

Breakthrough Sundays – every Sunday morning we play great worship music all morning long.

Variance Magazine Passes 200,000 Hits

2010-11-04T12:02:00.000-07:00

The revolutionary music magazine passes 200,000 hits with their second issue. Variance Magazine is a magazine for the people by the people.

Industries boast that they are concerned with what their consumers want to hear about but Variance is the only one that actually puts truth behind that statement. The magazine accepts article submissions and publishes those articles in upcoming issues. More than half of Variances articles are written by people not employed by Variance.

Their tag line says it best when referring to article submissions "if you got em we want em".

Becoming Successful in the Music Industry (Clip)

2010-11-04T11:59:00.000-07:00

Sam Feldman is the CEO of S. L. Feldman & Associates, Canada's largest full service talent agency. The company books dates for artists such as Robbie Williams, Dido, Coldplay, Sarah McLachlan and Bryan Adams, as well as managing the careers of artists and producers like Anne Murray, Martina McBride and Bob Rock. Feldman himself helps manage the careers of Norah Jones, Diana Krall, and Elvis Costello.

Check out his video clip on Becoming Successful in the Music Industry.

For other great music blogs check out Music Man's Blog.

Leverage the Internet

2010-10-28T07:53:00.000-07:00

Everyone knows that by signing a record deal doesn't mean the work is over. Even thought Tate Music Group is the best label around and gives artists the freedom and flexibility they need, I will be the first one to tell you as the Director of Music Marketing that we are not going to do everything for you!

Yes TMG will handle marketing, publicity, promotion, advertisements, radio, booking, distribution and so on... we rely on the artist to network like crazy. The artist needs to be focused on growing, relating and mobilizing their social networks at all times. We need the artist to utilize the tools and services the Internet provides. They should leverage the internet as much as possible to grow their fan base, increase sales and actually grow their music business...and it is a business.

Besides twitter, facebook and the other social networking platforms that are out there you have to get creative. For instance TMG took our niche and organized Variance Magazine. It is an industry magazine that allows us to feature TMG artists along with articles of larger named acts. Scale Variance down a little and you have an industry newsletter. Every artist out there should have a newsletter that informs their family, friends and fans of what they are doing on a quarterly basis. This is just one example but you see how creativity can really allow you to stay relevant in the business. Check out "100 Resources for DIY Musicians" for some other tips.

Variance Magazine's Launch Party

2010-10-11T07:33:00.000-07:00

Just off of our Sophomore issue, Variance Magazine hosted a launch party last weekend at the Marquee in Tulsa. We had a great turnout by both fans and vendors. Local business sponsorship was at it highest due to the enormous buzz on the web about Variance's success.

Variance is a magazine for the people by the people. We take submissions from fans, artists, promoters, industry pros etc... and publish them if they fit the magazines structure and integrity. Variance is completely different than any other magazine on the market today for just that reason.

VM staff pictured above at the Marquee.

TMG Highlights Artists in Front of 12,000 Radio DJ's

2010-10-07T14:12:00.000-07:00

Tate has partnered with a new radio provider that allows us to promote, highlight and deliver TMG music to the hands of radio DJ's and Program Directors world wide.

Recently we sent music to over 12,000 DJ's and Program Directors. The partnership allows us to build music profiles for all of our artists and highlight specific artists to DJ'sand PD's of particular genres and regions.

This is a new partnership that brings great exposure to TMG artists.

Variance Magazine Releases Sophomore Issue

2010-10-06T08:33:00.000-07:00

Variance Magazine just released their Sophomore Issue with a bang. The Goo Goo Dolls graced the cover and the issue was filled with captivating articles on some industry movers and shakers.

By far the biggest response we received was from the fan base of Cobus Potgieter. Within 10 minutes of Cobus posting on Facebook and Twitter the website was shut down due to the amount of traffic that was trying to access the issue at once. We were overwhelmed but in a good way.

This is a new experiment from Tate Publishing and Tate Music Group that is proving to be a success. As of today, which is 5 full days after the magazine released we have had 74,751 unique views. The big draws are obviously articles on artists the majority of the public have heard about (Goo Goo Dolls, Underoath, The Spill Canvas, Cobus Potgieter). We use those articles to drive attention to our artists. In this issue you can see TMG artists such as Jeff Chandler, Chuck Tocco, The Fab Rudies, Michelle Buzz, Vanessa Vasquez to name a few.

The best way I can describe the benefit of this publication is that the above mentioned TMG artist have just received 74,751 impressions in the last 5 days that wouldn't have been their without it. Tate Music Group is continually looking for ways to publicize and promote our artists, Variance Magazine is just another idea that we've executed. If you take a look at www.variancemagazine.com you will notice a tab named "Variance TV" which is underway now!

TMG Now Produces Music Videos

2010-09-27T08:52:00.000-07:00

Tate Music Group now provides our artists with professional music videos. Even more than handing our artists a finished video we work with them to help promote and market the video once it is completed.

Take a look at the first music video we did in house for TMG artist Scarlitt Redemption

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AyMLlWAKVmg

Radio

2010-09-27T07:44:00.000-07:00

It is pretty universal regardless of the genre of music being created, most artist want to be on the radio. It is probably one of the first questions we get asked when artists are ready for marketing here at Tate Music Group.

If you've read any of my blogs you know that I am a big fan of performing over radio success. I believe that by performing you are creating a larger buzz and it will be easier to break radio than by starting cold in the opposite direction. With that said Tate Music Group offers great resources to our artists that help them find success.

Anyone who has ever tried their hand at the business knows that breaking into radio is one of the hardest aspects and provides some of the greatest challenges for an artist, label, manager, or promoter.

One of the cool aspects about Tate Music Group is that we have relationships with hundreds of radio stations across the nation. Our relationships and partnerships have allowed us to create weekly programing for these stations where we are able to insert TMG artists into a top 40 format.

Over a two week period we average 92 plays for TMG artists on over 433 radio stations across the nation. Again Tate Music Group chooses the artist we want to submit into each format. This is a win win for everyone involved and allows TMG to provide a radio resource to our artists.

Even though those numbers are incredible in their own right that is not where our radio promotion stops. Tate Music Group has our own in house division that works with advertisers and outside promoters to push our artists music even further.

We work with hosting companies such as PlayMPE and others to send TMG artists music directly to Dj's and PD's. This is how music is transferred in today's climate. If you are sending a physical CD to a station you are probably wasting your money. We've just been selected as a VIP partner to a hosting site that allows us to send music to over 40,000 radio professionals worldwide. This service is automatically created when marketing starts for every Tate artist.

Radio is a hard nut to crack but Tate Music Group provides our artists with the correct resources to do so.

Rock the Universe Pictures

2010-09-15T09:26:00.001-07:00

Rock the Universe Pictures

2010-09-15T09:20:00.000-07:00

Tocco and Chandler Perform at Rock the Universe 2010

2010-09-14T08:22:00.000-07:00

This year we are proud to announce that two Tate Music Group artists Chuck Tocco and Jeff Chandler joined the lineup for Rock the Universe 2010, held at Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida. The event was once again two amazing nights of heart-pounding music and dynamic entertainment, featuring our TMG artists alongside some of the hottest talent in Christian Music such as Skillet, tobyMac, Kutless, and Newsboys. Rock the Universe proved to be an unforgettable weekend of fun and fellowship at Universal Studios for our TMG artists and the thousands of fans in attendance.

Music Business Model

2010-08-19T11:40:00.000-07:00

We are asked all of the time why we require an artist investment on initial projects. Our main reason is that we need the artist to have some skin in the game. I've said it before and I will say it again "Free has no value". When a person doesn't have anything to loose they generally don't give 100%. This business is way to hard for someone not to give it everything they have.

Case in point EMI just released their annual numbers and they reported a net loss of $800 million. They LOST almost a billion dollars. EMI has some of the largest artist in the world and a portfolio to go along with it. But once again, the old way of doing things is not the way the industry works today. The large labels used to own everything therefore all of the money would filter back to them. That is not the case in today's market. More money is being spent but it is divided to many more ententes than ever before.

Take a look at EMI's annual report on Billboard.com

Warner Music to Negative

2010-08-13T13:45:00.000-07:00

Associated Press
S&P cuts outlook on Warner Music to 'negative'
Associated Press, 08.13.10, 12:38 PM EDT

NEW YORK --

Standard & Poor's Ratings Services lowered its outlook on Warner Music Group's rating to "negative" from "stable," citing a continued decline in revenue and profit due to light album releases and ongoing challenges with the music industry's shift to digital distribution.

The company's "BB-" rating is three notches into junk status.

Standard & Poor's said that despite Warner Music Group's vigilant cost-cutting measures, it will be less confident about the company's outlook "until there is an indication that digital sales can resume at healthy growth rates and eventually offset physical CD sales declines."

The ratings agency said that even though Warner Music Group's album release schedule is weighted toward its fiscal fourth quarter, ending Sept. 30, it believes the company's fourth-quarter revenue could decline by a high-single-digit to low-double-digit percentage. It added that visibility into fiscal 2011 is uncertain.

Warner Music last week posted a wider loss as digital download sales growth slowed further in its fiscal third quarter. Revenue from digital sales of recorded music grew just 3.7 percent to $169 million. Sales of downloads from Apple Inc.'s iTunes store are slowing as the market matures, especially in the U.S. Sales of physical CDs and vinyl records declined 25 percent to $350 million.

Warner also suffered from fewer big releases, as its top-seller, the soundtrack to the latest in the "Twilight" movie saga, compared poorly to prior-year releases such as Green Day's "21st Century Breakdown."

Shares of Warner Music Group were down 2 cents at $4.28 on Friday afternoon.

Labels Shut Down Street Teams

2010-08-13T12:43:00.000-07:00

Rock label Epitaph Records recently sent out an email announcing that its street team would cease to exist on August 24. This closure comes a few months after the somewhat abrupt closure of Warner Brothers Records Street Network. Both labels gave no reason for the closing and didn't respond to media requests for answers as to why they would shut down.

In the music market we are currently in the internet is king. Social networking is where an artist or a "Street Team" has to be savvy these days. The labels didn't respond as to why the street teams were shut down but I assume we can all come to a conclusion it was based around money. Your typical label still doing business as they did 10, 20 or even 30 years ago is loosing money. The top 4 will tell you that people aren't spending as much money on music these days and that simply isn't true. Consumers are spending more if anything it just isn't all going to the same 4 places it used too. The money these days is spread out to so many different vendors most labels feel the pinch big time.

1,000 True Fans

2010-08-09T09:34:00.001-07:00

"The long tail does not raise the sales of creators much, but it does add massive competition and endless downward pressure on prices. Unless artists become a large aggregator of other artist's works, the long tail offers no path out of the quiet doldrums of minuscule sales.
Other than aim for a blockbuster hit, what can an artist do to escape the long tail?

One solution is to find 1,000 True Fans. While some artists have discovered this path without calling it that, I think it is worth trying to formalize. The gist of 1,000 True Fans can be stated simply:

A creator, such as an artist, musician, photographer, craftsperson, performer, animator, designer, videomaker, or author - in other words, anyone producing works of art - needs to acquire only 1,000 True Fans to make a living.

http://www.kk.org/thetechnium/archives/2008/03/1000_true_fans.php

TMG Highlights OK Talent

2010-07-23T07:23:00.001-07:00

Sunday July 18th a little over a hundred people gathered that night to see what Tate Music Group had to offer from their own Oklahoman artists. Halie Hanson, Chris Crawford, Jeff Hill, Ahsley Windham and Scarlitt Redemption came through to entertain the show and stomp their performances. Each artist had a different musical style and their own way to relate to the audience.

TMG Marketing reps always emphasize the importance of performing. At that time it is the artists greatest opportunity to capture a crowd and entertain them. The transitions from song to song are just as important as the song itself. The entire package needs to be at the same level and that is what the 5 artists did last Sunday night. I was so proud that Tate Music Group was so well represented.

TMG looks forward to creating more showcases for our artists around the country.

The Mistake Authors and Artists Make

2010-07-22T15:18:00.000-07:00

THE MISTAKE AUTHORS AND ARTISTS MAKE

by

Richard Tate

My wife and I traveled for over 25 years speaking, singing, and conducting seminars and conferences across the US and even overseas. We averaged about 40+ events per year for a quarter of a century. Much of what Tate Publishing and Tate Music Group does for authors and artists is a direct result of our experiences, both good and bad. They say no teacher is more effective than experience and we can certainly vouch for that. Many horrible hotels, hours and hours in a car with kids asleep in the back seat, endless hours in airports, small record and book sales and low payment for services and work, work, work. When I was in the Marine Corps back in the 60’s one of our officers made a statement to us during an especially difficult time. “No one ever drowned in sweat,” he screamed. How true that is.

The sad issue today is that many new authors and artists think that because they have a good book or great music that it should just “happen” for them and that it is the total responsibility of the publisher or label to do all the work. It takes work, persistence, and lots of effort by the author or artist along side their publisher and label. Trust me, it is all worth it and Rita and I have a million good memories as a result of those years and made a fine living on the road. You can too if that is your dream, if you are willing to work with your team.

Last fall I was outside our house standing in the driveway talking with my son Ryan, who is the effective President and CEO of our companies, about TMG issues when my cell phone rang. The voice on the other end was our good friend and country music legend, Kenny Rogers. He was calling about his upcoming trip to our location and wanted to go over a few things with me and Ryan. Here is the “kicker” to the conversation. I said, “Kenny, you sound a bit tired my friend!” He replied, “Just a bit Richard. We have the Fiftieth Anniversary tour coming up in January with Dolly Parton and I have been working ten hours a day on the phone and on the computer calling venues, newspapers, radio and TV stations, and promoters working to get the crowds out. I have been doing this for half a century and it is still a lot of work.” Kirk Webster, who works with us out of Nashville and manages Dolly Parton, told me at our dinner there recently, “Richard, I have never seen anyone work harder than Dolly. She is after it hours and hours every day to stay successful.” Lee Greenwood who is a new part of our music and publishing family and the author of “God Bless the USA” told us in the conference room at his last visit that he worked for years and years in every kind of venue that would book him, large or small before his career took off and he became the legend he is today. Two time country music artist of the year Neal McCoy is doing several projects with us. He was Entertainer of the Year TWICE and said to me his bus one night after a packed out show, “It took me 13 years Richard before I had a hit. 13 years of any and every kind of gig until things took off. I work harder today than ever to keep us on the road doing what I love.” We love our relationship with the Oak Ridge Boys and their long time manager Jim Halsey. I was visiting with Joe Bonsall when the “Boys” were here recently and I asked him (they still do over 100 shows a year) what he would tell some of our new and aspiring authors and artists. He did not even hesitate. “They have to be willing to work. They have to be willing to sing or speak to 5 just like they would to 5,000. Most people think they should get their break because of the record label. Not so. It takes the label and the artist working hard every day. You don’t deserve that booking, you have to work for it and it HAS to be about your music or the message of your book first of all.”

Our marketing and publicists work hard to make each artist and each author as successful as possible. But, the biggest mistake I see authors and artists make is to think they deserve it and it should just “happen.” It takes hard work even after you have become a legend in the industry. Just ask Kenny Rogers.