How to Get Attention The Right Way

June 6, 2011

Yesterday at the show, a group of fans tracked Chester down.  After a quick exchange, they handed him an iPod Touch, and said, “We’re in a band called Beta State, and we’d be honored if you guys would check out our music.”

They handed him their demo on an iPod.

After the show, Chester told us what had happened, and showed Phoenix and me the iPod.  In Phoenix’s words, “at this point, it almost doesn’t even matter what their band sounds like–they obviously get it.”  Their album, art, and four professional-looking videos were all on the iPod, which was customized for the viewing and listening experience.  When we first turned it on, there was a personal note, addressed to me (see video above).

If you’re going to try to get noticed, you’ve got to be able to put yourself in the shoes of the person you want to get noticed by.  You have to think to yourself, “How often do they get asked questions like the one I’m asking?  How do I make myself stand out?  How I do put my best foot forward?”  Beta State knows the value of a standout connection.  We’ve received demos on similar devices before, but it’s never been so thorough and so thoughtfully put together as this one.

You may say, “I want to promote my band, but I can’t afford to give away iPods.”  Exactly.  Any thoughtful person who receives this gift will recognize the effort and sacrifice that potentially comes with it.  This iPod was obviously used, but clearly, Beta State can’t do this for everybody.  If they wanted to hand me an iPod, how many chances would they get to do that?

They chose a single connection that mattered to them, and they made a huge effort.

And I realize that, as I’m telling this story, there will be people out there who are inclined to copy this band’s move, and try to give us iPods with their music on them.  If you do that, you’re missing the point, and we won’t accept them.  It’s about being the first one to get it right.

Have a thoughtful presentation, put in the effort, and you can get people’s attention.  And as Phoenix said, it almost doesn’t matter what your band sounds like.

But lucky for Beta State, this is what it sounds like:

Go here to check out more of their music, videos, photos, and info: http://betastatemusic.com/Beta_State_v2.2/Home.html

mike

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Recording Artists, Not Performers

May 6, 2010

I was having dinner with a close friend named Mark, and we found ourselves on the topic of seeing “new” bands in concert. Mark had recently gone to Coachella, and was telling me about his favorite acts–and some of the ones that underwhelmed him. He wondered aloud why some bands seem to be so proficient in the studio, but their live show didn’t seem to be nearly as solid. A thought occurred to me/us somewhere in the conversation, and I’m going to put it out there for discussion:

Today, there is a historic surplus of “recording artists” and deficit of “performers.” And it’s probably technology’s fault.

Thirty years ago, if you wanted to be a professional musician, you might start by saving up to buy an instrument. You’d buy it, and start teaching yourself. Next, you’d probably get lessons, and practice, practice, practice. You would get together with other musicians, at someone’s house, to jam other peoples’ songs, and maybe eventually write your own. Then you’d work your way toward playing live. You might start by playing covers, then move toward playing your own stuff. If that went over well, you’d build a fan base, who would spread the word. Eventually, a record company representative could find you and sign you to a deal, and FINALLY you would be able to create a “professional” recording of your music. By that time, you would have logged thousands of hours of performing together. And the recording of your album was geared towards capturing the essence of what you actually sounded like: the magic that everyone heard while listening to you play live.

Today, most people skip straight to the recording. The tools to make a great recording are as cheap as free: whether GarageBand on a Mac, or amazing online recording communities like BOJAM, nearly anyone can have access to the tools necessary to make a quality recording. There’s no gatekeeper or major hurdle between an amateur and their interest in learning writing, recording, engineering, and mixing music. That being the case, there’s a whole new generation of artists who have become really good at those things. They log thousands of hours writing and recording. Since an early age, they’ve been honing their skills, composing pop diddies and alternative anthems on their laptops–wherever, whenever they like. They put the songs online…and occasionally, a song starts to take off in a viral whirlwind.

But what then?

Let’s say the song becomes popular; whether signed to a record label or working independently, piracy assures that the mp3 doesn’t make a lot of money online. And the group needs to make some money to pay the rent, buy gear, build the band. So they start planning their “tour.” But they don’t have much experience playing live. They’re really good at their instruments, but they can’t make it happen on stage. The album has dozens of layered sounds on every song, and they only have four band members. The drummer can’t keep up with the drum pattern on the popular single, because it was a drum machine on the original recording. And the vocalist’s voice sounds awful without Auto Tune.

One of the places where a “listener” becomes a “fan” is at the concert, and if you can’t connect there, you lose. In the case of Coachella, there were some bands that had the whole package. Some sounded great because they sounded just like the album, some sounded great because they sounded different from the album. There were rock-based bands that played well together, and electronic-based groups that brought the energy of their recording to life on stage. But in between–and in general–more and more often, the world is seeing artists with incredible-sounding albums and songs, and no magic when you see them in concert.

My own band has had to deal with these same issues in one way or another in the past. We grew up recording on a computer, at the specific point in time when home recording software became accessible to the average kid. When we met a record executive for the first time, we had played no shows. At that moment, we realized that we needed to start playing live and practicing our new songs, so we could eventually bring them to a stage. It would be years before anyone had ever heard of Linkin Park. We were lucky enough to get through the worst of our awkward live mistakes while we were still a baby band, unsigned, without a million people coming to our first show to see what all the hype was about, and by the time “In The End” hit the mainstream, we had probably played 150-200 shows together and worked a lot of the kinks out.

I’m definitely not saying that being a masterful at recording isn’t an asset. I’m just saying that it’s a game with a lot of competition, due to ease of entry.

If you want to stand out, performance is key. After all, if you master that, you can easily hire someone to record you.

mike

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Mike MPC demo

November 11, 2009

A few of you have asked about my process when it comes to making beats. I don’t really have a “process,” but I currently have been doing a lot on my MPC, so I figured I’d throw a little demo together. I tend to try to combine gear to get a cool sound. In this one, all the gear I used was pretty basic and reasonably-priced; simple stuff you can buy at Guitar Center or whatever. Enjoy,

mike

PS: I’m growing my hair out. I know it looks awesome right now. I think it’s exactly the same haircut I had in elementary school.

mike

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basic painting

November 13, 2008

Acrylic is a plastic-based paint, so it dries quickly (as opposed to oils, which take 2 week+ to dry, depending on how thick you work). I like to use Liquitex Acrylics. I learned the following exercise in college; once you’ve tried this and gotten some experience with it, feel free to improvise or try other methods.

yo1

As for colors, start with a very limited palette, so you start getting a feel for mixing colors. I would recommend: Burnt Umber, Ultramarine, Burnt Sienna, Cadmium Red, Cadmium Yellow, and White or White Gesso. I prefer White Gesso over white paint; it’s more opaque and smoother than regular paint (it’s meant to coat canvases–that’s the stuff that makes your basic canvas white). Notice there is no black…that’s because you make black by mixing Burnt Umber and Ultramarine, thereby making your blacks slightly more complex and able to go warm or cool. From this color palette, you can mix most colors you’ll want to achieve.

yo1

Get a variety of brushes that feel good to you. I’d say get at least five, including a large flat brush (a #20 or bigger, depending on how big your canvas is) and a small detail brush (like a Winsor Newton #1). Cheap student grade brushes are good for beginners.

yo1

For a palette, I recommend the Masterson one with the sponge bottom and the pad of paper palettes to put paint on (above). ACRYLICS DRY QUICKLY–thin coats dry in minutes–so this palette keeps your paints wet and usable.

For beginners, I would recommend choosing a photo that you like, and try to copy it. Once you’ve mastered that, move on to live still life, live human poses, and landscapes–whatever interests you at the time. I did all of these in school. We also spent months of study on the live nude of all ages, colors, and shapes (drawing, sculpting, and painting), and studied and dissected cadavers from the USC medical lab. All of these things were amazing learning experiences.

For now, start like this: before you do any painting, “tone” the canvas with a coat of Burnt Sienna (or any medium range color), thinned on your palette by brush with water. Cover the whole canvas with the burnt sienna; once it’s dry, start your sketch in pencil, then paint. This is a good idea for many reasons: 1.) it gives your painting a warm glow, 2.) if your paint doesn’t completely cover the surface, the canvas showing through won’t be stark white, and 3.) from this color base, you’re able to build in both a light and a dark direction. Color-wise, you’re starting from a middle ground.

Also, don’t forget to use the most appropriate brush for the job…If you’re filling in a larger area with color, remember to switch to a larger brush, so your color fields look consistent and you don’t waste your time. And, of course, if you’re painting a detail part, don’t get lazy and forget to use a detail brush.

Traditional painters will say to start with a sketch and build your painting from dark to light. I just do whatever makes the painting look good to me :)

mike

mike

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HOW TO: BE A CELEBRITY HOTEL GUEST

October 29, 2008

As we saw in artist Sarah Baker’s video “In the Spirit of Glorious Excess, 9/13/08″, you don’t have to be a celebrity to be treated like one. In fact, I’ve found that it’s pretty easy to get hotel staff to treat you like you’re “someone” even if they have absolutely no idea who you are. Here are a couple ways you can get the people at the hotel to give you more love than usual:

1) Have your manager make your reservation. You or a friend can pretend to be the manager, and call the hotel to book your room. Pick an occupation, and run with it. Example: “My client, a high profile actor/comedian/musician, has asked me to book a room at your hotel.” Don’t tell them you’re performing in town, though–they’ll ask for tickets.

2) Stay under a fake name. When you make the reservation, let the people at the front desk know that you “can’t possibly give them your real name, for reasons or personal safety and privacy.” Make up a fake name for yourself, and be that person during your entire stay. Be as ridiculous as you like. It could be a lot of fun to have room service address you as “Mr. Robert DeNiro” for a week. Or “Mr. Snuffelupagus.”

3.) Dress the part. Go incognito. Come in with a hood up, sunglasses on. Especially if it’s night time. The more you try to hide your face, the more they will assume you do it because you have to.

4.) Be consistent. A big-time celeb would probably have their “people” make all their reservations, right? Again, have your “manager” character call for any spa, golf, or restaurant reservations. And when getting a reservation at a restaurant, especially one with a view, make sure to ask for “a nice, quiet table where your client won’t be bothered.” That will definitely get them to give you one of the best seats in the house.

Although I definitely don’t recommend you do this all the time, it’s definitely fun to try out once and a while, just to keep life interesting. Definitely don’t do it to be mean or to trick people in a bad way, but if they’re excited because you’re a celebrity, and you’re excited because you’re getting the star treatment, everybody wins! Let me know if anyone asks for your autograph.

mike

mike

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Responses to comments

October 25, 2008

POSTED BY JNUDDA (on downloading music, similar post by ECETIM)
The music industry is moving onto the internets, and the record labels will be left in the dust if they don’t change their business model…the last two NIN releases (Slip and Ghosts)…that that kind of distribution is the future of music…

M: It would be great to be in the situation that NIN and Radiohead are in–being independent and selling direct to the fans would be really interesting. We’re currently in a contract with WB, and that relationship essentially requires us to do it a more traditional way, which is fine for now. Some day, that contract will be over, and we’ll be looking into other options. At that time, we intend to explore all viable possibilities.

POSTED BY TACOSONTUESDAY
Re: Re-prioritizing – I think that there needs to be a better way of indicating what is quality music. The worse musicians or entertainers are geniusly marketed to the point that the general public spends $ regardless if the product is inferior. Anytime dollars are the measure of success or failure, greed inevitably lurks. We are fed images of lap of luxury existence & we realize -That dude does not need my 99 cents more than I do…

M: A little convoluted, but I think you’re making some good points. Here’s what I think: since “quality” of music is totally subjective (you could easily argue for and against it on anything from Wu Tang’s “36 Chambers” to Fugazi’s “Repeater”), it’s all about “what do I like?” Look, sometimes someone in the ‘burbs wishes they was in da club dazzlin da bitchez wit they iced-out chain and buying da bar out so dey can take sum dime pieces back to da crib. But don’t hate on them because they’re making money. Instead, hate on them because their music doesn’t interest you, and their message is shallow and contrived. Besides, if they’re flashing money in their video, chances are they don’t really have any anyway.

POSTED BY THENEWLINKINPETE
Hey Mike, I find your comment on the downloading issue interesting and I quoted you to make some conversation on the MB and put my own opinions there: http://forums.linkinpark.com/showthread.php?t=9958&page=4 Also I´d like to ask if the famous quote “We support free music. Go ahead, download that shit!” (or smthng like that) is yours? Cause for example on youtube people seem to use that as a justification to put up your songs. Peace -Petri

M: I do support “free music.” For example: QWERTY (Live) was free. My FM mixtape was floating around, free. When Tim Fite or NIN gave away tracks, or Radiohead let you pay whatever you wanted, I thought, “that’s a great way to do it.” But if the artist says, “I want you to pay X amount for it,” then it’s a different story. The bottom line is: if you like the song and band, I would say you should buy it. If you don’t, your options are: DL it, or leave it alone.

Again, for a more in-depth look at this story, go here

POSTED BY HYBR1D_7H3ORY (on downloading music)
Mike, Those were some really great questions, and even better responses. I totally support your opinion on understanding what your money is going to, and thinking critically about how your actions affect other people…If you wanna talk further I opened a new thread… http://forums.linkinpark.com/showthread.php?p=455402#post455402

M: Great! Feel free to continue the conversation there, I’ll pitch in if i have something to say.

POSTED BY REZ (on water bottles v filtered)
Hi Mike. Thanks a million for responding to my comment regarding the bottle water issue. …I agree with you 100% that we have to do something. But we must act responsibly…We have to come up with solutions that will make our environment more sustainable for future generations, but at the same time we must work to improve social and economic conditions. Like I mentioned before, everything is connected to everything else…Thanks once again Mike and keep up the good work!

M: Agreed! It’s all connected…Wouldn’t it be great if those people you are concerned about got jobs producing energy-efficient eco-friendly products from recycled material? Both problems solved.

POSTED BY SQUISHY_HO (similar question by EAMER)
Do you think you could give out tips to people who just started painting? Cause it’s my case, i try stuff but i feel it doesn’t work out right. Could you give out “where to start” tips and like do’s and don’ts? Or a book recommendation, cause you seem good in that, too :p
thanks a lot =)

M: Great idea. I’ll put one together.

POSTED BY LOL2MELP
you know mike, you might keep in touch with your lp fans, but what about your fm fans?they didn’t disappear with fort minor.they’re still there, waiting for you.so if you do get the chance to swing by and say hello, it would be much appreciated.

M: In an effort to keep things more streamlined, I’m really spending most of my “posting time” here on mikeshinoda.com. I totally appreciate all the fans who are on FM.com, LP.com, FMM, LPU, etc., but I hope you guys don’t mind just coming here to get the direct word. Bouncing around everywhere to post takes up time that I could otherwise be spending on writing music or making a worthwhile post here.

Thanks for posting,
mike

mike

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MIKESHINODA.COM RSS FEED

October 22, 2008

As previously noted, mikeshinoda.com has an RSS feed. I wanted to take a second to talk about how to use it. If you’re already an RSS user, ignore this post, and feel free to pitch in with your “expert” RSS suggestions in the comments section. I’ll paraphrase a few key notes by Tim Ferris and Ryan Holiday. For an in-depth look at what Ryan had to say, go HERE

In a nutshell, RSS is like TiVo for your web browsing–you pick what you like, and it retrieves it. You just subscribe to the sites that you visit regularly, and they show up when something is new. You can do it via GOOGLE READER, or something similar.

Important note: a lot of web mail readers will allow you to subscribe to an RSS feed as well. if you’re on a Mac, like me, you can simply add it to your Mac Mail RSS tab; you just go under File / Add RSS Feeds, and paste in the RSS feed weblink. When new posts show up on mikeshinoda.com, they’ll simply (and immediately) show up in your email inbox. Very handy.

For everyone that wants to subscribe to my RSS feed, this is the link
feed://www.mikeshinoda.com/feeds/blog.xml

Enjoy,
mike

EDIT: weird that the RSS link isn’t working for some of you. try copying and pasting?

mike

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How To: Artist royalties, indie v. major

October 14, 2008

POSTED BY MAX_PAYN: I have a REALLY IMPORTANT question, Mike, Do mp3 sites pay you actually? I sometimes buy couple of songs from mp3 sites, I’m not sure are they really paying you for that songs. what about abroad sites? Here Korea we have big mp3 sites selling your songs, I sometimes buy them…Nowadays people don’t buy CD, they buy mp3… so I really wanna know whether you can get actual benefit from them. Love you man. Anyway I did that survey but some error occurred, it won’t submit my survey! ….gave up…

M: Artists are supposed to be paid for all music sales (mp3s, ringtones, albums, etc.). Our label and publishing company are supposed to make sure all those sellers are doing the right thing.

For all the music makers out there, I should elaborate further: whether major or indie label, it’s not as much as you’d think. Even on a $9.99 album, the artist gets pennies. For each sale, everyone has to get paid out of that money; the store, the distributor, the record company; then your manager, lawyer, business manager, and more (at the end, if you’re in a band, you usually split it up among band members).

To see more of the scary underbelly of how it works, check this article out:
http://www.usatoday.com/life/music/news/2004-05-16-royalties-main_x.htm

Here’s a really breakdown, based on a (highest price point) $18.98 CD:

$18.98 – suggested retail price in store (what buyer pays)

$14.74 – what’s left after subtracting for “packaging costs”

$1.33 – how much your band gets as defined by average major label contract (standard average, 2004. Complicated stuff, and varies slightly depending on your deal and who you sign with…but I would be willing to guarantee that most upstart bands today make less than this if they sign with a major).

$0.93 – what band gets after various managers commissions (estimated: 30%)

$0.23 – what you get if your band has 4 members

The bottom line? You just got paid less than a quarter on your CD that sold for almost $20. The funniest part is that the label actually charges you some or all of the studio costs, video expenses, tour money lent, promotion of album and singles, and other expenses, so they don’t pay you your $0.23 until they’ve “recouped” their expenses. Which could be never.

That’s why it’s important to think about whether or not it’s time to work with a label. If it’s just you and the fan, you make almost all $9.99. Even if you’re only selling a few hundred units, selling them directly can be worth it.

mike

PS: Again, Donald Passman’s “All You Need to Know About the Music Business” is one great book to reference (It was even mentioned in the USA Today article).

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0743293185/mikeshinoda-20

mike

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How To Disguise Your Identity

October 12, 2008

http://displaymannequin.nl/wigs-moustaches-beards-c-41_59.html

Fake moustaches and beards for people who want to go incognito. Now you can hit the streets Sabotage style or belt out a sinister laugh while twirling your ‘stache with your fingers.

My personal favorite:

yo1

-SECRET ASIAN MAN

mike

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