Dear Christian Music Industry (Part 10)
Dear Christian Music Industry,
My, my, my. It’s been a while since my last letter to you. And look at how you’ve grown! Now correct me if I’m wrong but I think even my last letter you to was a bit of an encouragement to you. Was it not? You’ve really taken this whole ‘Social Interaction’ thing to the next level haven’t you?! Some might even say that you’ve surpassed other music genres in the social media arena. I’m like a proud second uncle or something.
Now, let’s see. I’ve done a little research and it looks like nearly every Christian artist is now on Twitter and the numbers are growing every day. Now there are too many Christian Musician blogs to even count, and artists are even branching out and being creative themselves and coming up with different ways to interact with their (uh oh, here comes that word we all know and love) “tribe”. Yeah, I said it. Tribe.
All this to say, I’m happy things are going so well. I love seeing the interaction. And I’m not going to sit here and say that me or SkörInc had everything to do with it, but I hope that we were able to play a part in ‘shaking things up a little’. **And if you are new to these ‘Dear Christian Music Industry’ letters, please go back and check out some of the past letters. Id’ love to know your thoughts. But make sure you start here.**
So now what? Now that everyone and their road manager has a blog and Twitter, what can this letter possibly be about? Who in the Christian Music Industry is still struggling to find a “tribe”? Who’s struggling to interact with a fan base they don’t know they have?
The Record Label. This letter is for you.
What if a record label got a fan base? What if a record label became a living, breathing, likable personality that allowed it’s tribe inside? Into the inner workings of the backbone of the music industry? What if people were allowed to become a ‘fan’ of the label? A fan of the company that is bringing you music that you love.
Some say the record label is dying. People say the record label is the ‘bad guy’. People say that artists don’t need a record label to succeed. All of these things are both true and not true. I think if the labels stay the way they have been for the last several years, yes, they might die. But they aren’t. Label owners aren’t stupid. They are changing with the times and updating their ‘tactics’ the same as everyone else. And they should be. But what if they took it a step further? What if they became something to ‘follow’ along with the artists they are promoting? Would you pay attention?
What if the label allowed an “inside” look into what artists they were considering signing? What if there was an interactive voting system that allowed their ‘tribe’ to vote for their favorite potential artists? What if the tribe was informed on how songs got to the radio, and what all went in to promoting an artist? The packaging, the promotions, the tour schedules of all the artists signed? What if the labels website became not only a place of information, but a place of interaction geared toward the fans of these artists? And in turn, became something worth being a fan of itself? Maybe I’m just a music nerd, but I’d love to follow something like that if I was given the opportunity.
Now, sure, not everything you write about is going to be interesting to everyone, but hey, this letter is probably boring the heck out of my mom. But here’s the thing. Everything is interesting to someone. People care about what labels are doing. People want to know the inside story and they still don’t want feel like they are constantly being sold something. Come on record label. Let’s give it a shot. Let’s start a living, breathing, transparent, “designed for the fan” website and lets see what happens. Who’s up for it?
Your friend,
brody
Read Letters: ”But It’s Still Not Happening 1-4″ and “Dear Christian Music Industry 1-9″ Here.
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These letters are brilliant. This is the best yet. This should also apply to the booking agent, the manager, and yes even the promoter.
I for one am really interested but I’m also a music biz nerd and I know it. Maybe that proves there are more music biz nerds than we realize…
I love it man. Great post. I hope some labels take this to heart. I know that there are several labels I’m a fan of that consistently feature artists that I love. Following labels on Twitter or being able to have a say in the inner workings of a label is the next logical thing.
First of I hate the word nerd. You are NOT a nerd (well, maybe a little). I hope we didn’t alienate BEC during the RAWRS.
Watching dc*b making “Church Music” was fun. The way they put out a daily video, among other things! I don’t think people understand that when these artists are recording, it becomes a 9-5 job, plus overtime. The number of guitar tracks, drum beats, etc boogles the mind. Now if sixsteps would show step 2, etc the circle would be complete. From cover design to photo shoots. Even the overhaul made to the artists website. Randy has given a lot of insight to that with the remodel of his own site. I don’t understand all his nerdy terms, but it is still interesting.
You are making great strides with the music industry. I know you work hard and you are reaping a lot of great victories. Some small, some large. As humble as you are, you are bringing people together that would otherwise never meet. I humbly thank-you for helping me to find firm ground again. Really. God is helping you bring common people together for a great reason.
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Great letter. I’d love it if a record label took your advice.
As a fellow music nerd, one who buys new albulms based on who produced it and who wrote on it more than the artist; the one who loves to look in the reprotire search of BMI, SESAC, ASCAP, ect and tries to find alink through songwriters within the artists (I became a Brandon Heath fan because he and dan Muckala wrote together, and I knew Dan Muckala from his work with The Afters and Backstreet Boys); the one who sees where a CD was recorded and goes and researches that studio and tried to figure out what type of console, out board gear, mic pre-amp, heck, even WHICH room within the stuidio it was recorded in; the one who listens to the radio and screams “I LOVE THIS MAX MARTIN SONG” and everyone else stares because all they hear is Kelly Clarkson singing and not the producer; and yes, the one who looks at label web-sites all the time to see which new artists has been signed and sees how they work with them, yes Brody, I, Janet Planet, found your letter quite interesting. (BTW, what I just mentioned was the tip of the iceberg of my music nerdy-ness).
I am already a fan of music labels, if you look at my twitter, you will see I follow those who allow themselves to be followed. The only problem is, well, they hardly post anything of interest. One of them just re-tweets what their artists just twittered, which is absolutely pointless if you follow that artist. But, I really do like your idea. I just wonder if only the music nerds (like you and I) will be into the idea, or will EVERYONE be into it. I can just say that is the industry shifted in this direction I would be in heaven.
Now, as the music nerd that I am, I shall go backl and read your other posts, hehe!
Excellent blog. I do not think labels would be that transparent, after all, they have a history of funny accounting, ruthless control, and intellectual property held hostage if the artist does not do what they want them to do.
Okay, I agree with everything my son says here. I truly don’t understand everything, but he is never boring….
Mom