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Posts tagged saving time
5 Ways To Make Your Band Rehearsals Productive
Sep 8th
Have you ever thought you were wasting your time while rehearsing? Also, have you thought you could’ve used your time more wisely? It is very important that your rehearsals are not wasting time, rather being productive and efficient. Here are five steps you and your band can follow to make sure rehearsals run smooth and efficiently:
1) Set a time limit for a maximum of three hours
If you rehearse for a long period of time, you will start to lose concentration. Therefore, setting a time limit of 3 hours is important, having more focus and determination to get things accomplished in that slotted amount of time. It is also important to take at least one break during a rehearsal so you can rest and relax.
2) Know what you are trying to achieve
You should have an idea as to what you are going to accomplish before your rehearsal starts. Wandering rehearsals are not productive and therefore a waste of time. If it’s decided that there will be a jam session for three hours to get song ideas, then at least you will know the jam session will have a purpose.
3) Arrive early
Don’t be late or even on time, get there early. You will need to get there at least 30 minutes early in order to set up all the equipment. The rehearsal starts exactly on the time reserved, not when you show up.
4) Record Everything
You will build up your music library of ideas and completed songs as you do more rehearsals. By doing this, you will feel a sense of achievement and a way to study the previous session on your own time.
5) Vocal rehearsals and music rehearsals are separate
Vocal rehearsals can be done at home. If it’s during the time of the general rehearsal, don’t waste the time of the non-singing instrument players by working on vocals.
Planning your rehearsals properly is an integral part to developing a band, and if done properly, then your band will be able to take the next step playing live.
If you have a story you would like us to cover, please contact jared@audimated.com.
Studio Time: Saving Time and Money
Jul 27th
Studio time can be expensive, and usually you are paying by the hour. This means the best way to minimize your time in the studio is to practice beforehand. It is important to prepare as thoroughly as you would for a live show. That way, you do not have to use your time in the studio as practice time, which can become time consuming and pricey. By practicing and knowing exactly how you want to play your music beforehand, you can use your studio time as a live rehearsal and record your music at a high quality and in a timely manner.
Practicing beforehand also means warming up right before heading to the studio (getting your fingers warm for the guitar, warming up your voice, etc). That way, you can get all the “rust” off before recording time. You are then more likely to eliminate mistakes and record your music in an efficient manner. Take advantage of the time that you spend in the car or waiting for the equipment to be set up or tuned. These few minutes could save you a few hundred dollars.
That being said a lot of musicians come up with new ideas for their songs while in the studio. It is important to go with these instincts even if that means sacrificing sometime in the studio because it can be well worth it to get a new high quality song. These instincts can sometimes revolutionize songs or parts of songs that can become the key to a song’s success. Use your time wisely and do your best to manage this trade off.
Another way to save time is to make sure all your instruments are in tune before going into recording. Thus, you can avoid replaying songs and save money. Many artists forget to do this because in a live show it is not as important, but of tune instruments can be very noticeable in a recording. Drums can be the most difficult and time consuming instrument to tune, so make sure to allot plenty of time for this before heading to the studio.
In addition to tuning, it is important to make a checklist of all the things you will need for the studio. It is a good idea to bring extras of everything just in case, because if you forget something and need to run to the store, you will still get charged for studio time. Some examples of the materials you would need would be extra strings, picks, batteries, tools, tuners, and anything else you think would be necessary.
Consider appointing someone in your band or group as the lead or organizer for the studio time. Leaving every member to “practice on their own” usually doesn’t work out to well for most musicians. Having someone champion the cause of getting a good recording session now can make or break the results later. Having someone stay organized with a checklist, budget, set list, equipment, transportation, food and cool head is an essential to any effective recording session.
Greg Gerla
greg@audimated.com
audimated.com
Loyalty in the Entertainment Industry
Jul 23rd
Unfortunately, loyalty from fellow co-workers or other artists in the music industry is a rare trait. Most people involved with entertainment only worry about themselves and will do whatever it takes to be successful, even if that means stomping on other people along the way.
Selfishness is a common trait among people in the entertainment business. Many have the attitude of using people to get to the top, and once they get what they need, they trade up for someone with more power. For example, many artists will hire a manager, but once they become successful, they will sign with a bigger company with more connections. This can become an ongoing cycle, not just with managers, but also with labels, agents, and attorneys. These people focus mainly on moving on to bigger and better things along their road to stardom, not necessarily caring about who gets hurt or discarded in the process.
Entertainers like this are not only selfish, but they also represent a corrupt part of the business. They will each try to convince you that you need to sign with them in order to make it big, when, in reality, they just feed you selective information because the industry is one big system. The label wants you to work with a certain manager who sends them musicians, and the manager recommends you to an attorney, both of whom are friends; in a sense, all are in it to help each other make good money. These “insiders” have power because they work within a close circle of friends
Although musicians can get caught up in the “moving on to bigger and better things” cycle, the people you work with at the start of your career can often be the most reliable. For instance, U2 and Tori Amos have been working with the same managers throughout their careers. They are two successful performers who learned early on that the “bigger” people are just in it for the money most of the time.
Even though not all successful people have a corrupt mentality, a lot have obtained their power through lying and stealing in order to get the clients they have. If you screw someone over, it could go without notice. But if you use two or three people, word could get around. The entertainment business may be a big industry, but your reputation is important. There are many paths you can take toward stardom, and it is possible to be loyal at the same time. You do not want to give others a reason not to sign you.
This article was written by Greg Gerla for Audimated.com, if you have any further information or recommendations for future article, please contact Greg@audimated.com.
Committment: A Vital Skill For Success
Jul 23rd
Everyone wants to be famous: the big house, private jet, garages full of luxury cars, vacations in paradise while reaping those big bucks from music sales. Living like there is no tomorrow, however, actually takes a lot of work. Not everyone is willing to make the necessary commitment to achieve success.
The first and most important step in any career is to give 100% to everything you do. Many musicians actually lack dedication and wonder why their careers have not progressed like they envisioned. Commitment to your future plans is the most essential quality for you to have in order to achieve your goals, both short and long term. The entertainment industry is an unstable and unpredictable business, so it is important to take full advantage of every opportunity that comes your way. You may be gifted with talent, but not fully committing yourself to just one opportunity could result in missed chances for success down the road.
There are various ways that you can fully commit yourself in the music industry. First, follow up on all your leads. Although some encounters may seem insignificant, it is important to follow through regardless. E-mails and phone calls should be answered in a professional and timely manner. Keep records of new contacts for future connections, accept invites to other events in the entertainment industry, and be open to various types of networking. By following through with these types of opportunities, you will expand your music community where you can share ideas and receive advice. You will make many new friends and increase your following.
Second, commitment means showing up to all your scheduled events. Do not forget! There are many musicians who cancel gigs and forget about meetings and auditions. Being flaky is the last quality you want to have as an artist. The entertainment industry may be big, but reputations can spread fast, and you do not want to give employers or record labels a reason to not hire you or a reason to not work with you again. It is important to follow through in order to distinguish yourself from the thousands of other aspiring musicians with whom you are competing.
In addition to showing up to events, it is important to take initiative. If you want to achieve stardom, you have to work for it; do not wait for opportunities to come your way because chances are others will take advantage of them before you do. Become a part of the music community, take classes, and attend workshops to let others know that you want to become involved. By taking the first step, your resources and contacts will multiply– helping you achieve eventual success.
Finally, remember that a job worth doing is a job worth doing well. It is important to portray yourself as not only talented but also professional, efficient, and committed as a musician. Simply showing up is not enough. It is important to impress your fans, along with the entertainment industry, the press, and your fellow musicians to motivate them to stay involved. Give one hundred percent in all of your shows. Be punctual, optimistic and positive.
Entertainment is a risky business, but success is definitely possible as long as you are organized, open minded, and, most importantly, dedicated. You can have all the talent in the world, but if you do not exhibit a strong work ethic and dedication to your chosen profession, you goals may start to seem unattainable. It is you who need to make things happen.
This article was written by Greg Gerla for Audimated.com, if you have any further information or recommendations for future article, please contact Greg@audimated.com.
Join a PRO and Make Double The Money
Jul 22nd
Joining associations such as ASCAP or BMI, organizations that specialize in performance rights of songwriters, is a vital way to preserve your band’s original material. Compare and contrast the benefits of each association and choose the one which is most suitable for your band. Usually these organizations require a membership fee, but are a onetime payment that is made in order to register.
Once you have signed up with one of these “pro” associations sign up as both a songwriter and as a publisher. Additionally, Your copyright for a song is divided in two; among the songwriter and publisher, and each receive 50% of the payment if a “pro” learns that your music has been performed. This means that your band will be doubling their money by signing up as both author and publisher.
Another “pro” your band should consider joining is SoundExchange. This organization is a sound recording performance “pro” designed to obtain performance royalties for your recorded songs. Sound recording rights are different than song rights which are provided by other organizations such as ASCAP or BMI, therefore joining a recording performance “pro” is beneficial to preserve your band’s original material.
Once you have signed up with a sound recording performance “pro”, sign up as both a “featured artist” and a “sound recording copyright owner”. The royalties assigned by these sound recording “pros” are divided between the two and therefore your band’s royalties are doubled if you sign up as both.
Finally, simply joining these “pros” is only the first step and registering each of your band’s recorded tracks and songs is vital. Follow the instructions provided by the service your band decides to use and register appropriately so that the “pro” knows which songs and tracks to link to their surveys and ultimately so that they know who to pay. In this case, if you follow these steps your band will double their earnings with these “pros”.
This article was written by Nicolette for audimated.com, if you have any further information or recommendations for future article, please contact Nicolette@audimated.com.
Online Promotion Widgets and Gadgets
Jul 22nd
Promotion is a great ways to reach out to the public in order to build upon your band’s following. In this day and age, the best way to promote your band is through online websites and social networks. Below are several widgets and gadgets that your group can use as online promotion.
Attendio is a widget that allows performers to release information such as tour dates and CD releases to fans on their websites. In addition, Attendio enables performers to involve specific people to virally spread the word about these announcements.
Eventful Demand is another useful social networking tool utilized not only by musical groups, but by comedians and politicians, to name a few. This service provides fans a means to weigh in on which groups they would like to see come to their area. In addition, performers can inform their followers via Eventful of the cities they will be visiting.
Another gadget is SayNow, a service that delivers voice and text messages to fans in which they are able to call a number in order to obtain information regarding performances, take part in polls and purchase merchandise. These are only a few of the options that SayNow provides to performers to further inform and reach out to their followers.
Frappr! Maps is a free service that your band can utilize in order to further connect with your fan base. Viewers that visit your sites can add their name, a picture and message so that performers can track where their followers are from, who they are, and how often they visit the website. This application is compatible with any kind of website and is ultimately a much more personal method of interacting with the public.
Lastly, Voki is a talking character widget that can visually and verbally represent the band members of your group. This character can also be an animal or imaginary creature, for instance, in which a voice can be recorded or uploaded. This is a unique way to differentiate your band’s image and websites while remaining memorable to your fans.
This article was written by Nicolette for Audimated.com. If you have any further information or recommendations for future articles, please contact Nicolette@audimated.com. www.audimated.com
Branding Your Online Profiles
Jul 21st
A brand is defined as an entity, icon or image used to identify and differentiate a business from its competition. Obviously, branding your band and your music is important, and there are a few ways in which you can do so. First, if you have a logo, your band should consistently use this image for any profiles your band may have. If you decide to change this image or logo, make sure to change it for each profile. Doing this will allow your fans to recognize your band much more easily.
Many websites – including social networks and blogs – allow you to place a tagline in your profile. You can use this to your advantage to create a clever, distinctive catch phrase that your fans can use to further distinguish your band. It helps provide a way for fans to identify you and your music by creating further consistency and instant associations. In addition to this, these free service providers supply you with a space to add a description to your profile. Your band should consider adding a short, yet informative biography to captivate listeners and help define your band members.
If your band has several websites, you can link your followers to these sites by adding links to your pages. There are two things that your band should make sure of: 1) check that these links do not contain any spelling errors so that your listeners won’t be directed to a different or non-existent website; and 2) make sure these links will be easy to locate on your profiles.
Additionally, when your band comments or posts an entry on a profile or blog, you can end with a signature or your logo. This is a way in which you can further brand your business as well as promote your band, profiles, and your music.
Lastly, your band should decide on one contact person and/or email address so that you can make this critical information available on all of your profiles. This information, along with your logo and tagline, should be kept consistent for professional and successful communication among the public.
This article was written by Nicolette for Audimated.com. If you have any further information or recommendations for a future article, please contact Nicolette@audimated.com.