STRATEGY | creative deconstruction

The Lower Class Musician

Posted on 16. Feb, 2010 by refe.

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For some music is a hobby and that is okay. However, if you plan on feeding your children by touring the Chitlin’ circuit, that’s another thing entirely. When I realized that writing songs for Columbia Records and recording demos with The Fugees wasn’t going to sustain me forever, I had to get adjust my expectations. These gigs were few and far in between and often times didn’t pay half as much as you would expect them to.

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Reality of Fan Involvement – Figures and Benefits

Posted on 11. Jan, 2010 by Rich Huxley.

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Following on from my first guest post here on Creative Deconstruction, I wanted to focus on the wider implications of one of the special events I talked about there, and the release that followed; to expand on the financial viability of the event/the release and the other reasons why this special box-set and concert package are proving valuable for the band.

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100 Resources for DIY Musicians from Label 2.0

Posted on 06. Jan, 2010 by refe.

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Greg Rollett of Gen-Y Rock Stars and Label 2.0 sent me an email this morning letting me know that he had just published a new report called 100 Resources for DIY Musicians, and that he had been kind enough to include Creative Deconstruction as one of those resources.
The report is a follow-up to last year’s [...]

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The Only Reliable Way to Get Your Band Covered on Music Blogs

Posted on 07. Dec, 2009 by refe.

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Despite my reluctance to chime in, I have noticed an important omission from most of the articles on the subject of music blog coverage. Very few seem to highlight what I consider to be the most effective tool of them all – relationship.

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Social Media and Fan-Driven Promotion

Posted on 11. Nov, 2009 by refe.

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This piece originally appeared as a guest post at Audiolife.com.
Social media has brought us into an age where consumers, not companies, determine the market’s perception of brands. This can be frightening for those who are accustomed to doing business at arm’s length with the masses. But there are huge opportunities for those of us who [...]

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The Declarations of Independents

Posted on 21. Oct, 2009 by refe.

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Rich Huxley is a member of the gloriously independent Hope and Social, a founder of Alamo Music – the UK’s first fan-owned record label, and a record producer.
The case for independence:
One of the questions I like to ask when I meet people through music is: “How many artists do you know personally who have a [...]

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Think Outside the Venue To Get That First Gig

Posted on 14. Oct, 2009 by refe.

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Most new bands approach the first part of their careers like this: We need to find an audience, but in order to find an audience we have to play shows. If we want to play shows we have to get a talent buyer to book us, but talent buyers are going to want to know [...]

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Targeting and Converting Potential Fans

Posted on 09. Oct, 2009 by refe.

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A goal is only as good as the strategy put in place to reach it. In my previous post I talked about Kevin Kelly’s 1,000 True Fans concept, and expanded it a bit to include the three other groups that make up an artist’s fan base: active, passive and potential fans.
This model may not be [...]

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1,000 True Fans and the Importance of Milestones in Your Music Career

Posted on 08. Oct, 2009 by refe.

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In any well-managed business each member of the team has a set of specific measurables to help them – and their employers – know whether or not they’re on track. Without these milestones it can be very difficult to remain focused and accomplish long term goals.
Artists and musicians are no different – except that they [...]

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Is Your Release Strategy Driving Fan Engagement – Or Preventing it?

Posted on 28. Sep, 2009 by refe.

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Modern music marketing is about the artist-fan relationship. Along with live performances, new music releases should be considered the backbone of this relationship, not simply a product to drive revenue or attendance.