LETTERS FROM THE ROAD: Donald Passman
Not so much a letter this go-round but… a guest appearance via e-mail interview this week from acclaimed author and entertainment attorney Donald Passman (REM, Janet Jackson, Tina Turner, etc.). Holy beans, even we can still hardly believe it.
Don’s latest version of All You Need to Know About the Music Business: Seventh Edition
Take it away Don….
OUTLANDOS MUSIC: Radiohead, Trent Reznor, Jill Sobule… with historically built-in fan bases, these artists make giving music away for free, DIY fundraising packages and social media marketing look easy. But what if you’re a complete unknown? Where do you start?
DONALD PASSMAN: MANY ARTISTS ARE NOW STARTING WITH A VERY GRASS ROOTS LEVEL. THEY BUILD A FANBASE BY GIVING AWAY THINGS (PINS, STICKERS, ETC.) AT THEIR SHOWS IN EXCHANGE FOR AN EMAIL ADDRESS, THEN THEY STAY IN TOUCH WITH THEIR FANS ON A REGULAR BASIS, BUILDING A FOLLOWING UNTIL IT REACHES CRITICAL MASS.
OM: Because so many artists have been quick to attempt the above model, “free” may, in fact, be dead. Now that we expect it; where’s the value in that? Which then begs the question, what’s the new “free?”
DP: THE KEY TO SUCCESS IS BREAKING THROUGH THE NOISE. THERE ARE OVER SEVEN MILLION BANDS ON MYSPACE. OTHER THAN A FLUKE DISCOVERY THAT CATCHES ON VIRALLY, IT’S BASED ON HARD WORK AND BUILDING A FOLLOWING, AS NOTED ABOVE. ALSO, THE RECORD COMPANIES PUT MONEY AND EXPERTISE INTO MARKETING. TO DATE, NO ONE HAS BROKEN THROUGH ON A TRULY MAJOR LEVEL WITHOUT A COMPANY BEHIND THEM. THAT MAY CHANGE IN THE FUTURE, BUT FOR NOW, THAT’S THE CASE.
OM: Honing one’s craft versus social media efforts: if you had to assign percentages between only these two things, denoting over all time spent, what would they be and why?
DP: THE COMMON DENOMINATOR TO ALL SUCCESSFUL PEOPLE IS A BLEND OF TALENT AND DRIVE, WITH (FRANKLY) DRIVE HAVING THE EDGE. THERE ARE MODERATELY TALENTED PEOPLE WITH MAJOR CAREERS WHO ARE VERY GOOD AT MARKETING THEMSELVES, JUST AS THERE ARE MAJOR TALENTS WHO HAVE NEVER BEEN SUCCESSFUL. IT TAKES BOTH. YOU NEED THE GOODS, BUT PEOPLE HAVE TO KNOW ABOUT THEM.
OM: Be honest. If a fledgling artist (whose music you loved) came to you and asked your advice, if they should quit their day job and try to make it, so to speak, in this day and age, where fledgling artists are a dime a dozen and for the most part labels no longer nurture careers, would you say “go for it” or “don’t quit your day job?”
DP: I WOULDN’T GIVE UP THE DAY GIG UNTIL I HAD A PRETTY GOOD SENSE THAT THERE WAS A “THERE THERE.” IF THERE’S MOMENTUM, SOME MONEY COMING IN, THEN IT’S TIME TO GO FOR IT. THERE’S NO MAGIC FORMULA; EVERYONE HAS TO MAKE THAT DECISION ON THEIR OWN.
THANKS SO MUCH FOR THE INTERVIEW!
DON
Tags: Bob Lefsetz, CUT THROUGH THE NOISE, Donald Passman, KATE BRADLEY, LETTERS FROM THE ROAD, OUTLANDOS MUSIC, THE iNSIDERS NETWORK —
11/2/09
Categories: CUT THROUGH THE NOISE • KATE BRADLEY • LETTERS FROM THE ROAD • OUTLANDOS MUSIC • THE iNSIDERS NETWORK
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4 Responses to “LETTERS FROM THE ROAD: Donald Passman”
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[...] Not so much a letter this go-round but… a guest appearance via e-mail interview this week from acclaimed author and entertainment attorney Donald Passman (REM, Janet Jackson, Tina Turner, etc.). Holy beans, even we can still hardly believe it. Don’s latest version of All You Need to Know About the Music Business: Seventh Edition includes all kinds of Music 2.0 updates and is MANDATORY [...] [...]
i LOVE your questions and the answers were real.
Unfortunately that includes the fact that there’s still no manual on how to drive which is what everyone is looking for and as Donald noted, “everyone” is now massive.
[...] Donald Passman agrees, “the common denominator to all successful people is a blend of talent and drive, with [...]
Hey, I know this is perhaps quite strange to hear, but this post inspires me to get through the day, when my wife is nagging at me every single waking minute! A bunch of my mates told me about it but I could not find it for some time, so a couple days back I was so happy to finally find it! Me, I don’t do much blogging due to time constraints but I do love to read other people’s work. I just need to comment to show my admiration for your posts and I also wanted to say that so many writers do not get any credit for their work, credit that is, surely well deserved. Given the subject matter you might not believe it and maybe even doubt that any sane person could like it so much, but I truly wish for you to keep it up. It’s fantastic!