Promote this!

Some main points from the Wikipedia entry on Promoters:

"An entertainment promoter i.e. music, wrestling, boxing etc. is a person or company in the business of marketing and promoting live events such as concerts/gigs, boxing matches, professional wrestling (wrestling events), festivals, raves, and nightclubs.

At a minimum the event promoter manages publicity and advertising. Depending on the arrangement they may also handle security, ticket sales, Admission to an event or establishment (door policies), decorations, and booking of entertainers."

Ready for full on rant mode? I am sick and fucking tired of people who call themselves promoters leaching off bands. Not paying. Expecting the bands to do all the legwork. Expecting bands to sell tickets. Even making the first band find the other bands to book on the bill. ENOUGH! Don't invite me to play a showcase or awards show like you singled me out and really want me, only to then demand that I be able to sell 50 tickets on my own. That's not how a show like that works.  And where is that money going anyway? Not to the bands. If you call yourself a promoter, do your fucking job and promote. Do I have a big draw? No. Why? Because I have to bring all the people to my show. I don't get the opportunity to play for people who don't know me. I don't need friends, I need fans. I want to play your show Mr. Promoter, but if all the bands have to beg their friends to come all the time, there will be 5 people there. Like there is every time. If you want to make more money Mr. Promoter, put the effort into making your shows a known event, so you will have regulars who always come no matter what bands are playing, bring their friends, and spread the word. If you always pawn off the job to the bands, you have to start over from zero EVERY SINGLE SHOW.

PS - While I'm still ranting: venues, you are on my shit list, too. If you book directly, play the entertainer more than happy meal money. And don't treat bands like they are a nuisance. If you don't want live music, don't book it. And while you're at it, spend the money for a decent sound system and person to run it.

PPS - Bands: you play a role here to. Understand what it means to act professional at the gig, and understand your situation. If you agree to the show, show up. Don't be a dick. That makes it worse for the rest of us. Playing a 100 seat bar with 5 other bands? Probably not the night to bring your own full lighting fog machine rig that takes 30 minutes to set up and another 30 to tear down. Again, don't be a dick. And don't try to throw that back at me, this is my blog and I can be a dick here if I want.

One more thing, dear promoter. Did you actually listen to my music? Or am I just another body to plug the hole?

Music streaming is the future (and it's a load of bull)

I've been hearing quite a bit lately about streaming being the future of music. All you can eat services (free or otherwise) like Spotify and Pandora are the future. And the future is now. And the future is a steaming pile of bullshit for independent artists.

Sure, there is more potential exposure having my music on these services. They are convenient and are delivering music in a way consumers want. I've read articles about how great this is for labels and listeners. Notice who gets left out? And despide hundreds of plays on streaming services, I've not seen any uptick in actual purchases. See, that's the point. Just stream all the time. The claim is that pretty soon people won't own any music. It will all be streamed.

Here's the problem. Services like Spotify are relatively new, and as with a lot of online ventures, no one has really figured out how to make good money on it. So they make some money somehow. That pile of money is divided among everybody. I'm competing with Madonna and Green Day. Their cut will obviously be bigger than mine. What's worse, and what really compounds this problem is that Spotify pays $.007 per play. You read that right, less than one penny. The highest number I've seen from other services is just over one cent per play. I don't know how much profit these streaming services are making, but I'm going to be extra pissed if they aren't putting most of it back to the artists. Really, it's no different than is ever was. It's still radio, and the little guy still gets screwed.

Honestly, I would rather someone steal my music than insult me by paying 7/10th of a cent for a play.