Johnny Dwinell

What’s your plan to expose your music to the world?  I mean EXPOSE people to your music NOT “make it available for people to find”.  You really need answer this question honestly and then get on board with the business of learning how to make that happen if you ever plan on making a living in the music industry because terrestrial radio is dead.

If your plan is to get a record deal and get your music on the radio, you might as well work at McDonald’s; because you’ll make more money.  Radio, that is terrestrial radio is dead.  It is dead to any new artists to be sure.  There are virtually no new artists that are “breaking” on the rock and pop formats of terrestrial radio; in fact it might be ABSOLUTELY no new artists!!  Country music radio is actually still breaking new artists with the format but that will die soon as well.

Want proof?  Do you truly understand these statements?

Name any NEW Rock or Pop artist that truly “Broke” on terrestrial radio in the last five years (from 2008 for the mathematically challenged).  I’m not trying to be condescending here, but sometime I feel like the meat and potatoes of this matter is lost in the sound bites and headlines…this means any new Rock or Pop artist who’s FIRST record came out on or after 2008.  Yes I know, I know, you all a couple artists who started their careers (in the public eye) after 2008 but where did they break??  Where did you FIRST hear about this artist?  It was either from a friend OR TV.

Was it The Voice?

American Idol?

David Letterman?

Jay Leno?

Jimmy Fallon?

Jimmy Kimmel?

Craig Furgeson?

Was the band like the Script where their song was featured on a hit TV show “Grey’s Anatomy” and that broke the band THEN radio had to follow??

Yes, of course, some of you are most likely going to come up with a couple exceptions to the rule, but you are missing the point…15 years ago, EVERY rock band broke on radio….there were a few bands that didn’t but they were the exceptions to the rule.

So WHY is this happening?  How is it that we can predict Country music radio will follow suit?

The answer is choices

When people have choices, they take advantage.  Let’s look at the history of broadcasting to really see the social proof you need to change your business model if it’s dependent on radio.  Some of you, or maybe a good portion of you are too young to remember when there were only 3 TV networks; ABC, NBC, CBS.  Network news was TRUSTED and the respective network news shows represented a HUGE portion of network revenue and profits.  Why, because Americans only had 3 places to go to get their TV network news.  Think about it, 250-300 million people had only 3 choices.

Then the cable TV format came out in the 80’s.  EVERYBODY in network TV LAUGHED at the idiots who really believed that the American consumer would actually PAY for something they already get for free.  Pay they did, in mass droves!

Why?

CHOICES

Now network news is a joke and since the 330 million Americans have umteen choices to choose from when it comes to TV news, the viewership has SIGNIFICANTLY shrunk at NBC, ABC, and CBS.  If the viewership shrinks, they cannot command the advertising dollars they used to, so the revenue has also significantly shrunk.  I mean, you didn’t ever really believe that TV news was about the news did you??

So with terrestrial radio, we see the same thing happening.  15 years ago, if you wanted to listen to any new music (music you didn’t already own a CD for) you listened to the RADIO….that was your only choice.  With terrestrial radio playing roughly 12 songs per hour (to make room for advertising…you didn’t really believe that radio was about music did you?!?!?!) and many songs in “heavy” or “Moderate” rotation (meaning they are played several times per day) the listener was forced to listen to the same crap AND forced to WAIT to hear their favorite song.

Now there is no waiting.  Now you have the entire history of music at your fingertips.  Now all new model automobiles are coming equipped with WiFi of some sort…Pandora, etc.  choices.  We don’t have to listen to crap anymore.  Country radio will die too.

What you should be focusing on is internet streaming.  Focus your energy on that.

Read this Huffington Post article here on Blake Morgan who is an artist who had 27,900 + streams (spins) on Pandora and received a royalty check for $1.92.   This is your future.  The free market will prevail, but not without your help.

So screw the record deal and the radio, at least at the early part of your career.

If you do your job right, and create a profitable small business based around your music, believe me, the record labels will come to you, my friend; and the deal will be far better than any you would have received as an unknown artist in “the glory days”.

To quote the great Bob Lefsetz (love him) musicians are like the circus side show that are kissing the asses of the elephants that are shitting on them.

P.S. if you/re smart you will subscribe to the Lefsetz Letter.  You can subscribe here: http://www.lefsetz.com/

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