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Aaron Bethune is a visionary leader, entrepreneur, and storyteller who has dedicated his life to helping individuals and businesses uncover their unique purpose. His journey has taken him to the peaks of the Andes, into life-changing experiences that shaped his perspective on commitment, intention, and transformation. As a strategist and consultant, Aaron works with artists, entrepreneurs, and organizations to align their passion with their purpose, creating meaningful impact. His insights on overcoming limiting beliefs and embracing authenticity make him a sought-after mentor in the fields of leadership and creative development.In this episode, Aaron shares his journey of transformation, from life-altering experiences in the Andes to the lessons that shaped his approach to leadership, creativity, and personal growth.Key TakeawaysBreak free from limiting beliefs that hold you back from reaching your full potential.Learn how commitment and intention can help you co-create your dream life.Discover why embracing your uniqueness is the most powerful tool for success.-----Learn more about Aaron Bethune and his work: https://www.aaronbethune.com/Book an Artist Breakthrough Session with the Modern Musician team: https://apply.modernmusician.me/podcast
Show Notes:Aaron is an adventurer. From climbing in the Andes and making records to speaking around the world and working with celebrities, musicians, entrepreneurs, charities, government, and corporations, Aaron is always excited to see life through a new lens and help others uncover a new perspective. Quote: “Talent only gets you to the starting line, your development gives you a clean path to success” - Aaron BethuneKnowledge Nuggets and Take-Aways:You don't learn something when you hear yourself speak. Really listen to othersCuriosity drives the world, it's intriguing to see how overlapping the challenges we all haveAaron's passion is in helping people develop their talentsWe think we are living in an interactive world, but I think it's rather surprising how contained our own experiences are to ourselvesAt We Write Stories they exercise a non-judgmental empathetic listening where you are heard.A.I. is not creating, intuition or creativity, it's almost too perfect, but will help you with organization, get to the outcome you want with the input you are providingThe hand that you are looking for is at the end of your own armDon't be afraid to punch above your weight class and stretch to get to where you want to goIt's when you pause and reflect that you gain the most clarity of who you are and what you want to doHere is a link to this episode on Time To Shine Today Site: https://timetoshinetoday.com/podcast/wewritestories/ Recommended Resources: Visit We Write StoriesAaron's Linked INAaron's FacebookAaron's InstagramAaron's Twitter
Finding purpose, meditation and the meaning of life. Today on the Spiritual Spiral, you're in store for a deep and wonderful chat as I welcome my good friend, Aaron Bethune, to the show. Aaron and I have been talking about doing a podcast together for a LONG time so it's great to finally make it happen. Aaron's another one of those brilliant people I know who is truly a Renaissance man. He's an entrepreneur, storyteller, author, a CEO, a musician and a HUGE fan of the arts. He is also big on meditation so we start off by talking about religion, meditation and what inspires him to take Vipassana retreats each year. We discuss the complex world of spirituality and yoga and what ultimately inspires Aaron to look at life through a more Buddhist lens. We talk about music, PR and standing out as an artist in this tech centric culture and we talk about the positives and potential pitfalls of social media. You can find Aaron on IG @aaronbethune or at his website, aaronbethune.com. As always, thanks so much for listening to the show and being so incredibly supportive. I appreciate YOU! Remember, my book SSAFY can be purchased by visiting SSAFYoga.com or on Amazon by clicking HERE and if you enjoy today's episode and you want to support the show, PLEASE subscribe to the podcast on iTUNES or Spotify. It's also always helpful if you share the show with your friends or maybe head over to iTunes and write a quick review. I'd also love to hear from you so please reach out on IG @eddiecohn with any questions. Thanks again for listening.
Show Notes:Aaron is an adventurer. From climbing in the Andes and making records to speaking around the world and working with celebrities, musicians, entrepreneurs, charities, government, and corporations, Aaron is always excited to see life through a new lens and help others uncover a new perspective.Quote:: Be present in every moment, it gives you the ability to see beauty and experience life - Aaron Bethune Knowledge Nuggets and Take-Aways:Aaron's company will encourage and provide space for vulnerability to get your story outWe Write Stories will help you see yourself from the outside and bring your story outWhen you give time, make sure it makes sense. Time is our most valuable commodityDon't ever give up on your passion, what you are doing is incredibly valuable. Many people will drift away from passions to fiscal decisionsRejection is painful, but the greatest way to learn and Level UP!Fun fact - the color orange helps you produce more oxygenHere is a link to this episode on our website: https://timetoshinetoday.com/podcast/aaronbethune/Recommended Resources: Visit We Write StoriesAaron's Book: Reality and The Positive Power of PerspectiveAaron's Linked INAaron's InstagramAaron's FacebookAaron's TwitterHost Your Podcast for Free with Buzz Sprout Our Show Sponsor Sutter and Nugent Real Estate - Real Estate Excellence Music Courtesy of: fight by urmymuse (c) copyright 2018 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/urmymuse/58696 Ft: Stefan Kartenberg, Kara SquareArtwork courtesy of Dylan Allen
Aaron Bethune, the author of “Musicpreneur: The Creative Approach to Making Money in Music” and founder of Play It Loud Music, Above the Noise and JAM, is back to Music Growth Talks. Listen to episodes #29 and #80 for more on Aaron. This episode starts with the discussion of a blog post Aaron wrote about last year's scandal around the LA metal band Threatin, who faked their whole online presence to land a European tour no one attended, which led to the promoters exposing the band online. Was the case all that shockingly new to the music industry though? Did Threatin go too far, or didn't they go far enough? Listen to Aaron's insights on this controversial topic, with examples of Elvis Presley and Taylor Swift applying the "fake it till you make it" mindset at early stages of their careers. Aaron then broadens the theme of con artists, and gives examples of how his artists and himself have been attempted to be scammed. There is a few crazy stories involving Def Jam, president of UPS, and US Secret Service, so listen on to hear it all. ⏯ Go to http://dottedmusic.com/2019/podcast/mgt128-aaronbethune for the show notes and http://musicgrowthtalks.com to subscribe to the podcast. Become a patron to access a secret podcast feed with patron-only episodes at https://www.patreon.com/andrewapanov
This interview is with the music supervisor, award-winning singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist, and entrepreneur, Lisa Brigantino. We talk about playing on stages around the world to putting music in major T.V. Ads, movies, and more. Along the way, we discover some of the key ingredients to Lisa's success and how you can apply them too! Lisa Brigantino has worked in the fields of music supervision, talent acquisition, branding, and rights clearance for over 25 years. She got her start in the business as Director of Licensing for BZ/Rights and Permissions, Inc. and then went on to become a founding partner of Creative License, Inc. and then later served as the company’s Vice President and Director of Business Affairs. Lisa then went on to start her own company, Hidden Pond Productions, Inc. Lisa has worked on music supervision, talent acquisition and rights clearance projects for brands and companies as diverse as BMW North America, Delta Air Lines, MetLife, AT&T, ConocoPhillips, Northern Tool + Equipment, Provident, Mary Kay, The United Way, Ace Hardware, SC Johnson, Little Debbie, State of Alabama Tourism, Winmark, InTune Partners, MCI, The Bridge Direct, The Wish Factory, Hearst-Argyle, Chevrolet, 7Up, Gatorade, Intel, IBM, Coca-Cola, Kraft, Macmillan Publishing, Merck, Geico, Hyundai, Claritin, Samsung, Anheuser Busch, Pfizer, Olympus, KIA, NY Lottery, Hershey, Ford, Hewlett Packard and many more. Lisa is a voting member of NARAS (The Grammys), a member of SESAC, The Songwriters Guild Of America, New York Women in Film and Television and Women In Music, Inc. She served on the Board of Directors of Women In Music, Inc. for six years, and was a contributing writer and editor of the organization’s quarterly magazine, WIM. Lisa currently serves on the Advisory Board of Women In Music, Inc. and is on the Advisory Board of Photo Quest Adventures, a global photography workshop company. Lisa is a former original member of Lez Zeppelin, the world’s first all-girl, all Led Zeppelin tribute band and toured internationally with the band for many years playing bass, bass pedals, keys, mandolin and doing backup vocals. During Lisa’s years with the band, they received rave reviews in many publications and news sources including Rolling Stone (US, Germany and Japan ), Time Out New York & Chicago, Entertainment Weekly, The London Times, The Boston Globe, The New Yorker, VH1, MTV News, CNN News, CBS Sunday Morning and many more. Performance highlights include appearances at The Bonnaroo Music Festival and Voodoo Fest (USA), Download Festival (UK) Rock am Ring/Rock am Park (Germany). The band’s self-titled debut CD was released in 2007, recorded and produced by the legendary Eddie Kramer. Lisa co-wrote two of the original songs on the album. Lisa left the band in 2009 to focus on her own original music. In addition to being a performing songwriter and musician, Lisa is a trained composer with a Master of Music in music composition and music theory from SUNY Fredonia, and she composes music for television, film, theatre, dance, and new media. Lisa Brigantino is proud to be a Kurzweil Endorsed Artist. She is a member of SESAC, The Songwriters Guild of America, New York Women in Film and Television, a voting member of NARAS (Grammys) and serves on the Advisory Board of Women In Music, Inc. Award-winning singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Lisa Brigantino is an engaging performer whose eclectic approach to songwriting spans groove, genre, and topic. Brigantino’s new album I’ll Waltz Before I Go released October 15, 2018, continues Brigantino’s tradition of producing albums containing her eclectic original songs which span a wide range of genres including Folk, Roots, Americana, Old-Time, Country, Pop, and Rock. Her songs touch on the topics of love, loss, longing, hope, gratitude, family, and more. Enjoy! Aaron Bethune. http://www.playitloudmusic.com http://www.lisabrigantino.com http://www.hiddenpondproductions.com
This podcast is with brand and marketing guru Allen Adamson and sheds light on the world of branding in business and how it applies to the music industry. Allen Adamson is a noted industry expert in all disciplines of branding. He’s worked with a broad spectrum of clients in industries ranging from packaged goods and technology to health care and financial services, to hospitality and entertainment, as well as brands in the non-profit sector. Given his perspective and depth of experience, Allen has helped his clients not simply understand, but, more critically, put into play strategies that enable them to shift ahead of the market and the competition, generating long-term value and increased brand equity. How organizations do – or do not – stay relevant is the subject of Allen’s most recent book, Shift Ahead. Using fascinating first-hand accounts and detailed case studies, Shift Ahead explains how the best organizations recognize when it’s time to change direction, and how they pull it off while bolstering their brands. Following the approach of Allen’s previous books, BrandSimple, BrandDigital, and The Edge: 50 Tips from Brands That Lead – which are used in universities across the country – Shift Ahead offers up practical and readily applied lessons learned. Prior to Metaforce, Allen was Chairman, North America of Landor Associates, a global branding firm. Under his leadership, the company partnered with a wide array of iconic brands, including Accenture, GE, Johnson & Johnson, FedEx, HBO, Marriott, MetLife, P& G, Sony, and Verizon. Before Landor, Allen was an executive at Unilever, responsible for leading marketing for a number of major packaged goods brands. Previously, he held senior management positions at Ogilvy & Mather and DMB&B. A sought-after industry commentator, Allen has appeared on NBC’s Today Show, CNBC’s Squawk Box and Closing Bell, and Fox Business Network. He is often quoted in The New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Advertising Age, USA Today, the Washington Post, and Forbes, for which he also writes a column on brand strategy. He is a frequent guest lecturer at New York University’s Stern School of Business, the Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate School of Management at Cornell University, and the Harvard School of Continuing Education. Allen is a member of the American Management Association and speaks on brand and marketing strategy for a range of professional organizations, corporate events, and at industry conferences. Allen received his BS from the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University, and an MBA from New York University’s Stern School of Business. I hope you enjoy our conversation! Aaron Bethune.
Justin Kalifowitz operates Songtrust and serves as President of Downtown Music Publishing. Prior to Downtown, Justin spent six years with Spirit Music Group acting as Head of A&R, and held positions with RCA and Virgin Records. Justin has been named in Billboard Magazine’s “30 Under 30" Faces to Watch and Crain’s “Forty Under 40" Rising Stars of New York Business. Justin is on the Board of Directors for the NY Chapter of the Association of Independent Music Publishers. This interview with Justin Kalifowitz on the topic of music publishing is a well of insight. His answers shed light on some of the key elements of the most valuable yet complicated areas of the music business. Newcomers and mainstays will have something to take away. Justin Kalifowitz, 35, thinks both big and small. Since Downtown Music Publishing was founded in 2007, the company has made deals for the songwriting catalogs of Ryan Tedder, Benny Blanco, and Niall Horan; served as administrator for independents like Big Yellow Dog and the John Lennon and Yoko Ono catalogs; and expanded to Los Angeles, London, Nashville, Amsterdam and, in February, Tokyo. But Downtown, based in Manhattan, remains dedicated to its indie roots. In 2011, Kalifowitz built Songtrust, an online platform that allows indie songwriters -- essentially anyone -- to register their compositions and collect royalties worldwide. While Downtown manages 100,000 songs, Songtrust administers 1.3 million, and the company reports collections were up 90 percent in 2016. Kalifowitz has also been working on NY is Music, the advocacy coalition he co-founded in 2014 that helped the NYC Mayor's Office of Media & Entertainment commissioner Julie Menin organize the inaugural New York Music Month, a city-sponsored event this June that includes concerts, conferences, and initiatives like 2,000 hours of free rehearsal space. With the city's monthlong celebration underway, Kalifowitz speaks about overseas growth, indie songwriters and New York's music economy. Enjoy! Aaron Bethune.
Today's interview is with super-manager Jason Davis. Whether you are an aspiring manager, upcoming artist, established and looking for inspiration, Jason shares a ton of valuable hands on knowledge. Jason Davis has spent his entire two-decade career in the music industry and worked with many worldwide stars, including Boyz ll Men, Sugar Ray, P. Diddy, Alabama, Lonestar, Dolly Parton, among many others. Davis is an entertainment industry executive with a broad range of titles including award-winning songwriter, award-winning author, independent record label president, executive TV producer, entertainment consultant, former Senior VP of A&R for Dolly Parton's management company CTK management and a serial entrepreneur. He has also secured record deal offers with CEO's from the largest music companies in the world, including Capitol Records, Sony, Interscope, Island / Def Jam, Epic, Atlantic, RCA, and J Records. Traveling between New York, London, Los Angeles, Miami and Nashville, he built a reputation working with the top songwriters, producers, and recording artists in the entertainment industry on a global level. Over the span of his career, he has not only pioneered new approaches to the signing and development of some of the world’s most successful recording artists and songwriters, but he has consistently championed innovative business models and partnerships with a wide range of companies around the world. His career began as a songwriter when he was discovered by Grant Cunningham, the former VP of A&R for Sparrow Records. Davis went on to write a #1 Billboard hit, received several ASCAP songwriting and publishing awards, and was nominated for a latin music award. Davis has also co-founded other cutting-edge entertainment companies such as Radar Label Group (Jimmy Eat World, Plain White T's, Neon Trees, The Unlikely Candidates), One One 7, Awaken Records (Austin French), and Care For Kids. He is also co-president and partner of booking agency Higher Level Agency and an artist manager with First Company Management. For more info on Jason's companies please visit: www.oneone7.com www.awakenrecordings.com www.higherlevelagency.org www.fcmgt.com Hope you enjoy listening to this one! Aaron Bethune. www.aaronbethune.com
My friend Adam Spencer interviewed me for his Australian podcast. I thoroughly enjoyed our conversation and thought you might too! We discuss the importance of setting goals, seeing the big picture while also focusing on the next small step.
Aaron from http://www.howtolicenseyourmusic.com/ speaks with Aaron Bethune, the owner of Play It Loud Music. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/music-money-and-life/support
You are about to hear a story on how far creating your own path instead of doing what you're "supposed to" can get you. The story is about a successful US country artist, golfer, philanthropist, and public speaker Steve Azar, and it's told by his manager, Aaron Bethune. Aaron is the founder of Play It Loud Music, Above the Noise and JAM, among numerous other projects. He's also the author of "Musicpreneur: The Creative Approach to Making Money in Music", which we covered in detail in the WeSpin Recipes episode number 29, over a year ago. After Aaron discovered that the key to everything Steve had been doing was the state of Mississippi, they turned it into a series of mind-blowing opportunities. From helping the state to improve its public transportation system, to becoming the first Music & Culture Ambassador of Mississippi (the title didn't even exist before), recording an album and filming a documentary with BB King's band in a legendary venue – these are just some of the events which the dedication and creative thinking led Steve and Aaron to. Listen to the episode for all the details, as well as Aaron's tips for up-and-coming creatives. Go to http://wespin.co/wsr80/ for the show notes and http://getacard.wespin.co/ to learn how to support the podcast and get a free WeSpin postcard.
I recently had a great conversation with David Dufresne, CEO of Bandzoogle, an amazing company that probably a lot of you all ready use to build your websites. Bandzoogle is based in Quebec and have made a major impact on the independent music scene giving tools to musicians to help build their career. In our conversation we discussed ways you can ensure visitors to your website are converting into fans and spending their time and money where you want them to, website dos and don’ts, apps and responsive websites as well as knowing your audience and who consumes your content. With David’s background as a venture capitalist he shares his unique perspective on this new music industry. This episode was edited by Andy Warren of http://www.applesandchocolate.com Take a listen! Aaron Bethune. http://www.aaronbethune.com Music Specialist. Creative Collaborator. Author. Musicpreneur.
Aaron Bethune is a music business consultant, manager, author, and the founder of PlayitLoudMusic, Above the Noise and JAM, among a number of other projects. In this WeSpin Podcast episode, Aaron told his amazing story of how he started in the music industry, talked on his (not less amazing) current ventures, “niche” music business case studies and, of course, his book called “Musicpreneur: The Creative Approach to Making Money in Music”. Listen to the interview to learn the mindset of doing business and networking like a true Musicpreneur. Some of the topics covered in the episode: • Aaron’s road to a professional music industry career. • Figuring out ways to distinguish yourself from others. • A case study of a musician/yoga teacher. • “Your band is a brand” and what it means to you. • “Build relationships before asking for anything.” • Networking outside of the music industry. Go to http://wespin.co/wsr29/ for the show notes and http://getacard.wespin.co/ to learn how to get a free WeSpin postcard by supporting the podcast.
It has been quite some time since I last posted an interview. Although the posts have slowed down I have continued interviewing people on a regular basis. Of course this means I have numerous interviews backlogged. In fact so much so that some of the people I have interviewed have moved onto new roles at new companies since the time of the interview. Greg Van Bastelar is somebody I met at Rifflandia in Victoria while participating at a music industry panel. At the time Greg was marketing Director of Deezer Music Canada. After speaking with Greg I was immediately interested in interviewing him for the podcast. He has a lot of experience in the music industry ranging from working for FACTOR (The Foundation Assisting Canadian Talent On Recording) and seeing artists get funded for records to becoming the marketing director for the European streaming service Deezer Music. "Greg Van Bastelaar’s career began in 2001 by studying Recorded Music Production at The Trebas Institute Of Toronto. It was there that he met world-renowned Songwriter/Producer Justin Gray. A relationship was struck and his time at Big Boom Entertainment resulted in a phenomenal experience working directly in the creation of music. 2006 brought an exciting opportunity with Warner Music Canada, working directly under the General Manager of Warner Chappell Music Canada. During this time, Greg's knowledge of the industry grew considerably and a wealth of industry contacts were added to his network. Greg eventually jumped at the chance to work for The Foundation Assisting Canadian Talent On Recordings (FACTOR). This environment plugged him into the main-line of the Canadian music industry, allowing him to further develop key relationships as well as to directly help the industry thrive as a whole." Greg is a big sports fan as well as music fan. I have always been intrigued with the overlap in fan behaviour and their impact on performance in the music and sports world. Speaking with Greg gave me a chance to cover this topic and get his opinion on the subject. Enjoy! Aaron Bethune. Music Specialist. Creative Collaborator. Author. Musicpreneur. http://www.abovethenoise.ca http://www.playitloudmusic.com http://www.musicpreneur.ca http://www.aaronbethune.com
I enjoyed being a part of Australian musician and marketer Dimitra's "Music As Your Business Summit." This is my portion of the summit, to hear all the experts you can visit: http://musicasyourbusinesssummit.com
I really enjoyed being interviewed by James Lynch on the Big Value Big Business Podcast. Here is what he had to say: "Aaron Bethune comes to us from Musicpreneur.ca – Where you’ll find his epic marketing book by the same name: Musicpreneur: The Creative Approach to Making Money in Music. While being a musicpreneur as well as an author Aaron is also a speaker, a music educator, and an in-high-demand creative consultant. Aaron’s expertise in branding and marketing goes well beyond the music industry which has allowed him the opportunity to work with many major companies outside of music. You can find his agency at PlayItLoudMusic.com where he offers booking, management and consulting services for musicians, artists and more. Have a listen to my chat with Aaron Bethune" For the original interview please visit: http://bigvaluebigbusiness.com/podcast/aaron-bethune-interview-big-value-big-business-podcast-with-james-lynch/
Canadian rock outfit Theory of a Deadman are fresh from the July 29th release of their latest album, SaVages. Mike Raine had the chance to speak with frontman Tyler Connolly about the album, their progression over the years since releasing their self-titled debut in 2002, their success outside of Canada, and a lot more. And in CM Academy, we speak with Aaron Bethune, the author of the new book Musicpreneur: The Creative Approach To Making Money In Music. We'll speak about the book and some of the ideas in it. An early review from our friend Eric Alper at eOne Music Canada reads: "It's tempting, when you go into the music business, to think that all you have to do is write a great song. That certainly helps. It's also a necessity to know all aspects of the industry, so you're able to tackle any challenge you face. This book might just be all you'll need to read."
A while back I interviewed radio host, author and music marketer David Hooper about his book Six Figure Musician. We did the interview in Nashville about a week prior to the launch. At the time he told me about his plans for the book and how he intended to market it. I thought it would be interesting to follow up with him and find out how his marketing strategies were working and what he had learned about his audience. The book is available for free as well as a number of paid versions too. Would people value them differently? Was there any unexpected insight as to what people would go for? I have noticed that free can often result in less interest due to a lower perceived value of the content, whether it is a free music industry panel, workshop, webinar, concert or album download... What can David tell us about the world of book marketing within the music industry? In our conversation we talk about marketing, getting a #1 on the billboard charts and a best selling book on Amazon. We discuss the global business market and the ability to choose the best partners on a global scale. Although I am not one for talking about hype, on this occasion I ask David his opinion of the media around Miley Syrus from a marketing perspective. As always the conversation takes many twists and at every turn David has some hugely valuable insight to share. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did! Aaron Bethune. Music Specialist. Creative Collaborator. http://www.playitloudmusic.com http://www.abovethenoise.ca http://www.twitter.com/playitloudmusic For more on David Hooper and his book Six Figure Musician please visit: http://www.musicmarketing.com http://www.musicianbook.com
Today's interview is with Gregg Stewart, a marketing expert with over 13 years of first hand experience in the entertainment industry. As the Associate Director, Music Marketing Strategy & MuchFACT he's the main point of contact for music industry partners at Bell Media Inc. when it comes to music & entertainment. Gregg leads the music team in weekly committee meetings, promo opportunities, communications, production, programming, appearances on all media platforms across their brands. Brands include MuchMusic, MuchMore, MTV, MTV2, MuchLoud, MuchVibe, MuchRetro, Juicebox, The Loop, E!, at broadcast and for all of their digital offerings. Gregg also leads the MuchFACT team which is a funding board that supports Canadian music through content creation for all media platforms. He was instrumental in the launch of MTV in Canada in 2006 and also grew the audiences of the major shows by 40% from year one! He has been involved with MTV events nationally from Wakefest in Kelowna to World Ski and Snowboard Festival in Whistler. This interview covers topics including: How to get into the music industry Building your value Instant gratification and YouTube New music discovery Making the most of music placements Building relationships and following through. SXSW and beyond Factors that count beyond the music Timing How MuchMusic and MTV formulate their own countdown chart and what factors in MuchFact and creative pitching Gregg is a very knowledgable guy and offers some great insight. Get out your pens and paper and take notes! Aaron Bethune. Music Specialist. Creative Collaborator. http://www.playitloudmusic.com http://www.abovethenoise.ca http://www.twitter.com/playitloudmusic To visit Gregg's blog Good Music Is Good Music:http://goodmusicisgoodmusicblog.blogspot.ca
Today's interview is with Jeff Leake, the director of music programming for Sirius XM Canada and host of The Leak In Review. I met Jeff at a music industry panel in Victoria, BC. He's a knowledgable guy, a funny guy and most definitely a very well connected guy! We got together at his hotel to do the interview and drink tea. Rock n' roll. I am always interested to ask questions about what people do but I'm especially interested to find out how they got where they are. The more I have looked at successful careers the more overlaps I have found with the types of events that lead to success. To be more specific, the types of opportunities that have been the stepping stones to success. Finding success in music or business is all about the accumulated experience and knowledge that allows us to recognize and seize the opportunity that ultimately results in what the general public observe to be "overnight success." I was curious as to what those opportunities had been for Jeff. With his experience and first hand stories to tell about artists and their careers I was curious as to what advice he could offer for those looking for a career in music. In our interview we talk about how to get your music on the radio, how to submit it, the importance of having a story, how to incorporate airplay into your overall strategy, the importance of follow up, but more importantly when to approach radio and why. Jeff also talks about networking and being ready and willing to take opportunities when they present themselves no matter how big or small they may seem. Enjoy! Aaron Bethune. Music Specialist. Creative Collaborator. http://www.playitloudmusic.com http://www.abovethenoise.ca http://www.twitter.com/playitloudmusic
Today's interview is with my friend Robbie Grayson from Franklyn Tennessee. Robbie is the CEO of TraitMarker, a way for you to discover the "real you." As it states on the website: "Chances are that your personality lies buried beneath years of expectations and demands that life has heaped upon you. TraitMarker uncovers the genuine you lying beneath it all..." Robbie works with many well known artists, athletes, entrepreneurs, and so on. I'm curious as to if there are any similarities in the traits of those that are most successful. I'm also interested to find out what Robbie told a number of highly successful business people as well as Grammy Award winning artists that he invited to his house, in Franklin TN, to meet me a while back. On very short notice he put together two days of meetings that he hosted at his house, but what was it that he said or did that inspired these people to show up? I have met a lot of people in my life and continue to build my network on a weekly basis. After a while you start to find similarities in people's ways and actions. I have come to recognize the types of people that have a large network of loyal relationships. There is just something about these people that make them connectors. Robbie is one of these people. We talk about trust and honesty and their role in business success and living the life we want. Not only that but how to build and establish trust in order to develop our careers. I hope you enjoy this weeks podcast! Aaron Bethune. Music Specialist. Creative Collaborator. http://www.PlayItLoudMusic.com http://www.AboveTheNoise.ca http://www.twitter.com/playitloudmusic For more information on TraitMarker please visit: http://www.traitmarker.com
I have been speaking to Martin about doing this interview for about a year. Between our schedules it seems to have been almost impossible to line it up. Finally we made it happen and 25 minutes in you'll find out how it ended... Martin is a guy that has "been there, done that..." he has played with everyone from Johnny Rotten in his band Public Image, Ltd to Pig Face, Killing Joke, Nine Inch Nails, Ministry, Flea, Danny Carey from Tool, and many others... He owns a record label and is an in demand speaker at music conferences around the world as well as a professor at Columbia College in Chicago. He is the author of many books including most recently Tour Smart. I was curious to find out what the decisions and opportunities had been along the way that lead Martin from Johnny Rotten to the educator and entrepreneur he is today. For the record he still plays on albums and sits behind the kit for bands. How he has time for everything I don't know but he was up for sharing some of it with me to answer these questions! Enjoy! Aaron Bethune. Music Specialist. Creative Collaborator http://www.playitloudmusic.com http://www.abovethenoise.ca http://www.twitter.com/playitloudmusic For more about Martin, his books ad tour dates please visit: http://www.toursmart.tstouring.com
While meeting with a songplugger friend in Nashville, he asked me if I would interview some clients of his that were in town. The truth be told I was not really interested. I have always tried to keep my personal interviews (unlike when I am being hired...) to be with people that I have actively searched out. This situation was a little different and also a perfect example of how the industry really is based on relationships. I didn't want to offend my friend and I understand in this biz that if you scratch my back I'll scratch yours. So I said "sure." It turns out that The Empty Pockets were a perfect group of musicians to interview. They had made the trip down from Chicago to pursue their dreams in Nashville. I figure that that just about sums up the majority of bands that go to Nashville looking to swim in a bigger pond. Now I had a chance to interview one. The Empty Pockets came across as driven, bursting with energy and rearing to go. But where were they going? What was the plan? What was driving them? What did they expect they would accomplish in Nashville? Was there a strategy? What could other bands learn from them? How were they paying their bills? How did they expect people to take interest in them? How were they securing meetings? What set them apart? What was their "difference"? Why would people care? What would constitute as successful trip? This interview was conducted live at a studio on Music Row in Nashville. While we were conducting the interview a German film crew came in with a German music star wearing a cowboy hat. They asked if the studio would mind them filming an interview with the star at the studio for German TV. The studio leapt and the opportunity to be on German TV and let them in. I thought it interesting that nobody once asked for proof that they were with German TV. I am not suggesting they weren't but I did think, if you are looking for ways to meet people in the industry and get guaranteed one on one time without prior appointment, maybe you should go around with a video camera and say you are from a TV station. Seems like a good way to open some doors... I hope you enjoy this interview with The Empty Pockets as much as I did! Aaron Bethune. Music Specialist. Creative Collaborator. Author. http://www.playitloudmusic.com http://www.abovethenoise.ca http://www.twitter.com/playitloudmusic For more information on The Empty Pockets please visit: http://www.theemptypockets.com
Today’s interview is with Oscar Furtado on the art of radio promotion. Oscar is a renowned Canadian radio promoter who has worked with the likes of Sarah McLachlan, Tiesto, Swollen Members, Classified, and Marcy’s Playground to Jets Over Head, Madeleine Peyroux, Robbie Robertson and Jordan Knight. He focuses on commercial radio in Canada and knows exactly what it takes to break on radio. Radio is not only part of the “rockstar dream” but it is a crucial aspect to a “rockstar career.” When I first met Oscar a few years back, I remember him telling me that he recommended artists do some of the groundwork themselves before hiring a radio tracker. But how do you get started? Where do you begin? I asked Oscar some straight up questions to help understand not only the process but how exactly you can get your music on the radio. What format do stations want your music in and how do you deliver it to them? Who do you call at the station? What do you say on the phone? How do you find out if your track gets added to rotation? How do the charts work and how can you chart? Should you focus on certain stations? Is it better to start locally or go nationally? What are the best ways to build relationships at radio? Who makes the decisions? Is there a better day of the week to phone? Why do some songs get picked and others don’t…? These are a few of the many questions Oscar tackled. There is a lot here and you might want to take some notes. Oscar’s answers will give you more than enough information to start laying the ground work and beyond! Enjoy! Aaron Bethune. Music Specialist. Creative Collaborator. http://www.playitloudmusic.com http://www.abovethenoise.ca http://www.twitter.com/playitloudmusic For more information on Oscar and his company Tandemtracks Promotions please visit his website here: http://www.tandemtracks.com
This week's interview is with Bill Caywood. Bill is a graphic designer and branding expert, he is the CEO of Brett Manning's Singing Success, the Creative Director of TraitMarker, founder of NashvilleParties.com, co-founder of Festivalus and the co-founder of Caspian Productions. His clients range from Faith Hill and Jimmy Eat World to Interscope Records, EMI and Warner Brothers. This is another of the interviews I conducted while in Tennessee set up through our mutual friend Robbie Grayson. I soon learned after meeting Robbie that if he said I should meet somebody I was going to be grateful of the connection. He knows some amazing people and they all listened when he said he wanted to connect them with the new guy in town! There is something about Robbie that makes him a connector and person that people gravitate to. You can expect an interview with him in the future! I had just interviewed Brett Manning when Robbie and Brett told me I should meet Bill, the mastermind behind the marketing of Singing Success. I am always interested to find out people's approach and what's behind successful marketing campaigns. After researching more on Bill I realized that Singing Success was just one of many successful projects that he was a part of. As a student of the school of life, and without formal higher education, I wanted to find out how Bill had gone from high school to working with some of the biggest names in the industry. In our interview we discuss a topic that many artists have difficulties with, how to charge for your art and value yourself. How do you put a price tag to something that is not always tangible, something that is an "experience"? We talk about the importance of taking risks and how to quantify success. Bill discusses in depth the Brett Manning brand and the natural and organic evolution of branding. I particularly enjoyed this interview because Bill goes into detail on his approach, he is authentic and a bright guy to say the least! I truly believe that the content of his answers can shed insight to your own marketing and branding. Aaron Bethune. Music Specialist. Creative Collaborator. http://www.playitloudmusic.com http://www.abovethenoise.ca http://www.twitter.com/playitloudmusic For more information on Bill please visit: http://www.billcaywood.com http://www.caspianproductions.com http://www.festivalus.com http://www.nashvilleparties.com http://www.traitmarker.com
By now you have realized my interviews are not always with music industry folk but that they are with people that can give insight to building a career within the music industry. I believe that finding answers that can help build a lasting career in the music industry are quite often easier to find outside of the industry. The truth is artists are entrepreneurs and a lot can be learned from other successful entrepreneurs. Today's interview is with Rick Wells. Rick is a very successful entrepreneur, and now he is a successful actor. The interesting thing is that once he decided to become an actor he, almost overnight, was able to find acting work as well as an agent to represent him... Considering how many people spend years to get those opportunities, I was interested to understand more about Rick and how his past experiences have led him to where he is today. After getting to know more about Rick it became apparent that he has experienced a high level of success both financially and personally. The curious part was realizing what a wide variety of careers he had chosen and how at first they all seemed so wildly different. In fact there seemed to be almost no common thread between them. However, at a closer glance I realized that the common thread in fact was Rick's approach, his ability to put himself out of his comfort zone and find ways to excel. He really summed it up when he told me that the reason he chooses to act is because he wants to feel uncomfortable. Rick shows once again that no amount of success can be achieved without a challenge and going beyond your comfort zone. After interviewing many successful artists, entrepreneurs, authors, etc... after a while a number of similarities start to appear, from their personality traits to the environment around them. Alhough one of those traits is the ability to put yourself out of your comfort zone, the real question is what have been the experiences that build people up to not only recognize opportunities but to also risk taking them. What in Rick's past experiences and development have allowed him to consciously choose to put himself in a place of vulnerability along way from his comfort zone? Not only once but many times over and excel? Rick was adopted three days after birth and found out a lot later in life. He learned to make his living from commission (as he puts it, "eat what you kill"), he has an ability to build relationships that he can leverage in business, he understands that trust is a key part of business no matter what line of work you get into, he has 9 children, he has moved around with his work and currently resides near Nashville, he is a handsome 6,2 American looking man, he thinks carefully before he answers my questions... These are by no means the key elements that make up Rick but they certainly stood out to me... Listen to this interview and see what you can find. I believe that a lot can be learned from other people's experiences and Rick certainly has had many! Aaron Bethune. Music Specialist. Creative Collaborator. http://www.playitloudmusic.com http://www.abovethenoise.ca http://twitter.com/playitloudmusic For more information on Rick please visit: http://about.me/rwells36
Today's interview is with Lee Parsons co-founder of Ditto Music. Ditto Music is a digital music distribution company with offices in Liverpool and Nashville. As CEO of Ditto Music Lee Parsons overseas distribution and marketing campaigns for over 20,000 worldwide artists including Suzi Quatro, Finch, Lil Wayne, Prince, Sir Paul McCartney and Kid British. Starting from their bedrooms in 2007 Lee and His brother Matt launched the first ever unsigned artist into the UK Top 40 singles chart which got them into the Guinness Book Of World Records. Ditto Music have now had 11 UK top 40 singles, all with unsigned artists. Ditto have since been hailed by The Guardian and The Independent as a serious threat to the domination of major labels and launched their own TV show on Sky. Lee spends his time in between Ditto’s US and UK offices overseeing projects, speaking at events and opening new doors for independent artists. The interview was conducted at the Ditto US office on Music Row in Nashville Tennessee. We had been talking for some time however I met Lee a couple days before at a music industry gathering for drinks and appetizers. When Lee walked in everybody stopped what they were doing to greet him, he's just a magnetic type of guy, you can tell when he enters the room. Just an observation. I like to pay attention to people's personalities, mannerisms, and facial expressions when I meet in person. In my quest to find out what it takes to rise "Above The Noise" everything needs to be taken into account! I hope you all enjoy our conversation as much as I did. Lee shares a ton of insight on how he built his career and of course there is always a lot to learn from the experiences of others! If you are releasing your album and are looking for distribution, Ditto Music come with my highest recommendation! Aaron Bethune. Music Specialist. Creative Collaborator. http://www.playitloudmusic.com http://www.abovethenoise.ca http://@playitloudmusic To learn more about Lee and his company Ditto Music please check out: http://www.dittomusic.com http://www.twitter.com/CEOleeparsons
Today's Interview is with vocal coach extraordinaire, Brett Manning. Brett has worked with many well known artists including Taylor Swift, Hayley Williams, Keith Urban, Wes Hampton and has also coached several Grammy and CMA Award winners, as well as recent Broadway casts of Les Miserables, Jekyll & Hyde and Elton John's Aida. Brett is the author of the "Singing Success" a "learn at home" vocal training program. Manning currently runs a vocal studio on Music Row in Nashville TN "Brett Manning Studios" where he teaches along with his associate teachers Shelby Rollins, Jeff Mathena and Jason Catron. Brett teaches his vocal techniques through seminars and workshops around the world. In 2008 Manning was featured as a vocal coach and judge on CMT's television talent search, Can You Duet. The interview was conducted at Robbie's house, a mutual friend in Franklin. Robbie was somebody I chance met a month or so ago on my way out of a coffee shop where I was meeting with Tom Jackson. I kept up the communication and headed back to Tennessee to strengthen the connection. It was Robbie that set up the meeting with Brett. Lately the interviews have been really leading themselves to the next person and I have been happy to follow where they lead me! I hope you enjoy this one and the insights that Brett has to share. Aaron Bethune. Music Specialist. Creative Collaborator. http://www.playitloudmusic.com http://www.abovethenoise.ca http://www.twitter.com/playitloudmusic For more information on Brett and Singing Success please visit his websites: http://www.singingsuccess.com http://www.brettmanningstudios.com
In this episode of "Music, Money And Life" Aaron Davison from http://www.howtolicenseyourmusic.com/ talks with Publisher and Author Aaron Bethune from Play It Loud Music about the traits of successful musicians. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/music-money-and-life/support
Today it is my pleasure to be talking with branding expert and authority, Karen Kang. Karen Kang is a recognized brand strategist and the CEO and founder of BrandingPays LLC, a corporate and personal branding company (www.brandingpays.com). She is the author of BrandingPays: The Five-Step System to Reinvent Your Personal Brand. She has trained thousands of professionals on the unique BrandingPays™ System for personal branding. She was a principal and partner with Regis McKenna Inc., the legendary marketing firm that created and launched the Apple brand. She’s consulted to more than 150 organizations in the US, Europe and Asia from Fortune 100 companies to non-profits and startups. Her broad experience has included such diverse clients as Ariba, AT&T, Genentech, HP, iCharts, Lavante, Synopsys, Maxtor, NCR, Park Systems, SigmaQuest (Camstar), UC Davis Health System, Webroot and VoyagePrive. Karen’s marketing and communications background gives her a 360-degree view of branding. A former newspaper journalist on both the East and West Coasts, she has held executive positions in marketing consulting, advertising and public relations firms. Karen is a frequent speaker at leading business schools and professional organizations. She has served on the boards of The Friends of the Palo Alto Library and the Women’s Technology Cluster (Astia). She has also donated her time to such worthy non-profit organizations as Girls for a Change, CORO, Asian Business League of San Francisco and Ascend. She is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Mills College, where she holds her B.A. degree in English, and has earned her M.S. degree in Journalism from Boston University. In our conversation we discuss personal branding, Karen's five steps to brand positioning, qualities of a good brand, qualities of a bad brand, brand positioning, selling experiences, bad behaviour equals a bad brand, branding from the inside out, shifting the mind set from me to we, and a whole lot more! Aaron Bethune. Music Specialist. Creative Collaborator. http://www.playitloudmusic.com http://www.abovethenoise.ca http://www.twitter.com/playitloudmusic For more information on Karen please visit: http://www.brandingpays.com http://www.twitter.com/karenkang To purchase Karen's Book: http://www.amazon.com/dp/0988437503/ref=cm_sw_su_dp
Today's interview is with digital music and media strategist, music technology educator, singer/songwriter, Nashvillian, and bioinformacist, Charles Alexander. Charles is also founder of Outside The Box Music, a digital media development, strategy and artist services company. Charles helps artists, musicians and songwriters create and extend their online presence. He implements strategies and runs campaigns to increase fan acquisition, engagement and create brand awareness. The intent of these efforts are to acquire and nurture a fan base that would help artists build and maintain sustainable careers. He has been quoted in The Washington Post and The Tennessean and featured on the front page of the international music technology blog, HypeBot.Com. He has spoken at events held by ASCAP, Americana Music Association, The Folk Alliance International, NSAI and has contributed to the national discussion on SOPA, the online piracy bill. Charles performs at venues like The Bluebird Cafe in Nashville, Tennessee on a regular basis. He speaks at national and regional indie and digital music events and is an ardent advocate for independent music. Today we go in depth on how to use analytics to build an online strategy, get your pen and paper ready! Aaron Bethune. Music Specialist. Creative Collaborator. http://www.playitloudmusic.com http://www.abovethenoise.ca http://www.twitter.com/playitloudmusic For more information on Charles you can visit his websites here: http://www.outsidetheboxmusic.com http://www.charlesalexander.com http://www.twitter.com/musiccharles
Today it is my pleasure to be talking with established social media marketing authority and New York Bestselling Author, Chris Brogan! I have been really interested in interviewing people that are not directly related to the music industry, but that can share a ton of insight as to how what they do can benefit the careers of musicians. It is always interesting to get a different angle on this industry! A musician in his free time, chris has surprisingly good knowledge of the current music industry and has a ton of great comparisons and examples to share. Chris is a New York Times Bestselling author of books like The Impact Equation and Trust Agents (cowritten with Julien Smith), Social Media 101, and Google Plus for Business. He has appeared in several magazine and news articles from Forbes, The Boston Globe, Success, USA Today, and has appeared on TV shows like The Dr Phil Show. (Oddly, in conversations with people who aren’t into the online world, people are always more impressed with the Dr. Phil appearance than the New York Times bestseller thing.) Chris is also the cofounder of the PodCamp new media conference series, exploring the use of new media community tools to extend and build value. He has 12 years of experience in online networks, social communities, and other elements of digital business. He has 16 years of enterprise telecommunications and wireless experience prior to all this. Aaron Bethune. Music Specialist. Creative Consultant. http://www.playitloudmusic.com & http://www.abovethenoise.ca Today's interview covers: Don't just be interesting, connect Build Relationships Deadmau5 Clictivisim Vs. Activism Record Labels that buy "Likes" Giving before you ask 90% for free Finding out who your audience is Fans are a community Selling the experience Hanging out with NIN drummer Adele at The Royal Albert Hall Bravery Ingredients to Success Overnight Success Creating offline viral sensations Storytelling Being Passionate Cutting through the noise Getting a "real job" 1000 True fans vs. the 150 Rule (Robin Dunbar number) For more information on Chris Brogan please visit: Chris Brogan Blog: http://www.chrisbrogan.com Chris Brogan's Weekly Newsletter: http://hbway.com/nl or http://www.humanbusinessworks.com/newsletter Human Business Works: http://humanbusinessworks.com About Human Business Works: http://www.humanbusinessworks.com/about Human Business Works Courses: http://www.humanbusinessworks.com/courses The Human Business Way Radio Show (Podcast): http://www.humanbusinessworks.com/radioshow Other DIrect Links: iTunes: http://hbway.com/itunes Stitcher: http://hbway.com/stitcher Blackberry: http://hbway.com/blackberry RSS via a podcatcher of your choice: http://hbway.libsyn.com/rss
Today's interview is with music marketing expert, author and host of Music Business Radio, David Hooper. I've always enjoyed listening to David's interviews, so when planning my trip down to Nashville recently I reached out to him on Twitter. I asked if he was up for being on the other side of the mic and answering some of my nosy questions. I was especially interested in interviewing David as he has interviewed many movers and shakers as well as artists in the industry, so I knew he was bound to have a ton of insight to share! David helps upcoming artists and songwriters to make more money in the music business. Since 1995, it’s what he's done on a daily basis. Last week David published his latest book "6 Figure Musician - How to Sell More Music, Get More People to Your Shows, and Make More Money in the Music Business. This music marketing book comes with the guarantee that if you follow his recommendations you will make $100,000 or more. It is packed with a ton of great information and best of all it is absolutely free! As you can imagine I was very curious to ask David some of his marketing secrets! We recorded the interview in the lobby of the hotel, amongst bustling musicians and other guests, so expect some interesting background noises! Among other topics we discuss how to make $100k in the new music industry, what we can learn from spam e-mails, techniques to building a mailing list, engaging fans, touring, traits of success, and much more! Aaron Bethune. Music Consultant. Creative Collaborator. http://www.playitloudmusic.com & http://www.abovethenoise.ca For more information on David Hooper please visit: For a free download of his new book 6 Figure Musician : http://www.musicianbook.com For up to date music marketing advice: http://www.musicmarketing.com For Music Business Radio: http://www.blog.musicbusinessradio.com To Follow David on Twitter: https://twitter.com/davidhooper
Today it is my pleasure to be speaking with a true Jazz legend, trumpet player, composer and record label owner, Dave Douglas. This is an occasions where I am getting to interview somebody I studied when I was in music school, somebody who in his field is a total celebrity. I was very humbled yet excited when Dave said he would like to be on the podcast. From the perspective of the business side of music I am curious to find out some of the differences between the jazz world and the commercial world. How artists are heard above the noise in a genre that requires being a master of your instrument, and the focus is entirely on the music. Dave and I talk about improvisation, music education, the perspective of time, collaborations, getting in the zone, what is success, his latest work, what’s to come in 2013, and much more. This is also the first podcast to feature a track, so be sure to check out “Be Still My Soul” off the “Be Still” album. DAVE DOUGLAS is a prolific trumpeter, composer and educator from New York City. His unique contributions to improvised music have garnered distinguished recognition some of which includes a Guggenheim Fellowship, Aaron Copland award and Grammy-nominations. Douglas has developed his work for several unique ensembles with whom he’s currently active including his quintet, electric sextet Keystone, Brass Ecstasy, Sound Prints Quintet, co-led with Joe Lovano. His new Quintet released their debut recording, Be Still, in September 2012 with singer Aoife O’Donovan, the first time Douglas has featured a vocalist on a recording. Since 2005, Douglas has operated his own record label, Greenleaf Music, releasing his own recordings, albums by other artists in the jazz idiom, and continues to prove himself as a forward-thinking leader in the realm of digital music distribution. He served as artistic director of the Workshop in Jazz and Creative Music at The Banff Centre in Canada 2002 through 2012 and is co-founder and director of the Festival of New Trumpet Music, which celebrates its tenth anniversary in 2013. Aaron Bethune. Music Specialist. Creative Collaborator. http://www. playitloudmusic.com & http://www.abovethenoise.ca & http://twitter.com/playitloudmusic For more information and music releases by Dave Douglas and Greenleaf Music please visit: http://www.davedouglas.com http://www.greenleafmusic.com http://www.twitter.com/dave_douglas
Today I have Ariel Hyatt on the show and we are covering everything from social media and crowd funding, to what it takes to rise above the noise in today's new music industry. I always enjoy speaking with Ariel as she is a wealth of knowledge and is always happy to share her insights! I find it especially cool that Ariel is currently carrying out her own crowdfunding campaign and by doing so is practicing what she preaches! For more information visit the site: http://bit.ly/ArielRockethub Ariel is a thought leader in the digital PR world: the founder of a successful PR firm; international speaker & educator and the author of two books on social media and marketing for artists. Ariel’s Cyber PR® process marks the intersection of social media with engaged behavior, PR, and online Marketing. Ariel made it her mission to educate artists on how to take advantage of the new digital world. Her efforts have been lauded by artists and industry professionals alike. Ariel’s bi-weekly newsletter and YouTube series ” Sound Advice” has attracted over 20,000 subscribers, and she has penned over 100 articles to date. Ariel is also the author of two successful books on PR and new media:Music Success in Nine Weeks and Musician’s Roadmap to Facebook & Twitter offer artists a step-by-step plan to create a profitable and sustainable business from their art. Ariel’s message is so compelling she has been invited to speak at festivals and conferences in twelve countries, including SXSW, CMJ, ASCAP’s I Create Music, The Future of Music, Canadian Music Week, APRA’s Song Summit (Sydney), You Are In Control (Reykjavik), The ECMAs, NARAS, Grammy Camp, and The Taxi Road Rally. In the Fall of 2011, Middle Tennessee State University began offing an official Cyber PR® Class based on principals used in Ariel’s day-to-day business. She and her staff led students in a rigorous Cyber PR® accreditation process that included hands on experience working on active Cyber PR® Campaigns. The course was so popular that 2 section and an advanced Cyber PR® class has now been added. Having pivoted her business once successfully, Ariel is now exploring the universal applications of her Cyber PR® philosophy and platform, to public relations campaigns at large. This is why Ariel Publicity has represented over 1,700 clients in the seventeen years since its inception: knowledge, passion, talent, innovation, and the sort of luck born of hard work. These qualities are embodied in Ariel Hyatt. Ariel proudly serves on the boards of Sweet Relief Musicians Fund, SoundCtrl, and The New Music Seminar. She is an obsessive world traveler, a total foodie, and a vintage lunchbox collector. I hope you enjoy today's interview! Aaron Bethune. Music Specialist. Creative Collaborator. http://www.playitloudmusic.com & http://www.abovethenoise.ca
Today I am speaking once again with Marty Neumeier. The last time we spoke it was on the topic of branding, a topic on which Marty is an internationally renown authority. He has written many books including Zag which was named one of the "top hundred business books of all time" for its insights into radical differentiation; and The Brand Gap, considered by many the foundational text for modern brand building. It fascinates me how often musicians are told to find a real job and that they will never be successful in terms of a career at their art. However, it seems that "real jobs" are less and less of a "real option" in today's economy as technology is taking over in what Marty is calling "the robotic age." We are certainly in the midst of of a shift into a new paradigm,and to find success in this new age we need to apply a different set of skills, Metaskills. And these skills are exactly what Marty's book is all about! Today's wide spread unemployment is not a jobs crisis, it's a talent crisis. Technology is taking every job that doesn't require a high level of creativity, humanity or leadership. These traits should be familiar to any successful artist as they are a big part of building a career in the new music industry. In today's interview we are going to talk about how these skills described in Marty's book can be applied to the careers of musicians and artists and we will be discussing the metaskills feeling, seeing, dreaming, making and learning. I love Marty's books and getting to talk to him once again is fascinating as well as enlightening. I know you will appreciate the insights that Marty shares! Aaron Bethune. Music Consultant. Creative Collaborator. For more information on Marty and his new book please visit: http://www.metaskillsbook.com
Today's podcast is with Mark Tavern, an A&R administrator, mentor, speaker, blogger, and creator of strategies for the new music industry among other things. Mark has made a career out of helping musicians execute their creative vision. His industry experience spans more than 18 years, with positions at record labels and at performing arts organizations. Whether the music is hip-hop, rock, pop, jazz or classical, he's leveraged his education, creative sensibility, management skills, operations expertise, administrative experience and industry contacts to deliver artistic and commercial success. Mark has worked on a wide range of projects including Justin Bieber, The Roots, Mariah Carey, India.Arie, Whitney Houston, The Killers, Adam Lambert, Kelly Clarkson, Angie Stone, Maroon 5, Carrie Underwood, The Chieftains, Etta James, Jim Brickman, Andy Summers, Dave Douglas, Eliane Elias, Tom Harrell, Fourplay, Dominique Eade, Denyce Graves, Leontyne Price, a dozen Broadway cast albums including Urinetown, Avenue Q, Cabaret and Ragtime, and more than 15 opera productions at companies such as the Glimmerglass Festival, Glyndebourne (UK) and New York City Opera. In today's conversation we are going to be talking about the realities of the new music industry, finding the right studios and the right producers, artist development, the new rockstar dream, the value of music and "free" music, traits of successful artists, editing out the soul of a song, and whole lot more! I really enjoyed today's interview and I am sure you will too! It contains lots of insight for a career in today's new music industry. Aaron Bethune. Music Specialist. Creative Collaborator. http://www.playitloudmusic.com & http://www.abovethenoise.ca For More Information on Mark please visit his website: http://www.marktavern.com For a list of projects Mark has worked on please visit: http://www.artistdirect.com/artist/mark-tavern/2616237
Today's podcast is with David Das, a sonic architect with a wide-ranging and unique background. He is an active composer, producer, and songwriter based in Los Angeles. His experience covers the range from films, TV shows, commercials, and other media work, over to pop/rock/jazz music production, choral and orchestral writing and arranging, and more. His clients include 20th Century Fox, Coca Cola, Delta Airlines, and Disney, and numerous pop, rock, R&B, soul, and jazz artists. With a background in pop and jazz but thoroughly schooled in the classical tradition, David has lived and studied all over the world, including the U.S., England, Italy, and Singapore. He earned his degree in classical piano and conducting from the University of North Texas, and during that time was a member of the award-winning Jazz Singers. Later seasons in both Nashville and in his current home of Los Angeles brought opportunities to tour as a keyboard player, arranger, and musical director for such diverse artists as Grammy-winning singer Rebecca St. James, American Idol superstar Katharine McPhee, Ginny Owens, Margaret Becker, Bryan Duncan, Ryan Farish, and many others. Nowadays his production work ranges from film scores and orchestral/choral writing over to pop, rock, R&B, soul, and jazz production. His music has appeared in numerous TV shows and films, including American Idol, America’s Got Talent, The Sing-Off, and his arrangements have been published by Hal Leonard. He also does a considerable amount of sound design work for companies such as Big Fish Audio, Native Instruments, and MOTU. My conversation with David discusses how he finds work as a composer, how he interprets music requests from music supervisors, writing songs that stick, social media, the power of word of mouth, and whole lot more! I think this one is going to really appeal to all of you musicians that are interested in writing music for film and TV. Aaron Bethune. Music Specialist. Creative Collaborator. http://www.playitloudmusic.com & http://www.abovethenoise.ca For more information and to listen to David's music please visit his website: http://www.daviddas.com
Above The Noise Music Industry Podcast with Steve Rennie, Manager of Incubus Steve Rennie was a record executive and artist manager for more than a decade before he decided enough was enough. He wouldn’t take on clients– no new bands. That was before he found Incubus. Several years and millions of albums later, Rennie manages just one band, Incubus. Despite the band’s success Incubus now faces the same challenges as any other trying to find an audience. The playing field has never been more level. Bands, labels, managers, agents, publicists; everyone is forced to rethink the game. This is where Rennie’s gregarious nature comes in. Rennie is arguably one of the most forward-thinking managers in the business. He understands which old school promotions methods still work and which don’t. He has opinions on which digital strategies produce measurable results and which are wastes of time and money. And he wants to share this knowledge with you free of charge with no strings attached. Steve Rennie pulls no punches. No topic is off-limits, ever. With the kick-off of his web series and community-driven website, Rennie aims to be the Dr. Phil of the music business. His series is designed to help musicians and industry hopefuls get their heads in the right place to do something great in the music business. He intends to answer every question with no sugar-coating, as “Renman” says, “absolutely no bullsh*t.” Read more: http://bit.ly/Q6F3Rc Today I am talking to Steve Rennie about how artists rise above the noise. For someone who has been there and done that in every area of the music industry and has been part of the old model and the new, Renman has a lot of insight to share! We discuss: How he got started, having a goal, dream it do it, networking, characteristics of artists that rise above the noise, success and the middle class musician. The knowledge that Steve shares in this interview as well as all you can find on his website is priceless! Aaron Bethune. Music Consultant. Creative Collaborator. For more from Steve Rennie on the music business including a ton of videos please visit his website: http://www.renmanmb.com
Today I'm talking with the head of music supervision at Elias arts and Saturday night host on KCRW, Jason Kramer. Elias arts is a prestigious music production company based in Santa Monica and New York. Elias Arts specializes in original music composition, sound design, music supervision, and audio branding for television, film, and commercials, and has won countless awards for over the years. Jason’s extensive knowledge of music coupled with a great intuition makes him an integral part of the Elias Team. His job is to help find the perfect music solution for every project. Jason has also been a part of the KCRW 89.9 FM family for the last 14 years and still hosts the widely popular show on Saturday Evenings from 10-12. He is immersed in all the new music before it hits the airwaves. Jason also has been heavily involved in virtually every aspect of music for decades, from working with bands like Skunk Records/ Sublime, to music supervision, radio producing for FOX, publishing, music photography and commercial and television production. We talk about how environment, relationships, knowledge, passion, and persistence play a part in being heard above the noise! We also talk about how you can get your music licensed. Aaron Bethune. Music Specialist. Creative Collaborator. http:www.playitloudmusic.com & http:www.abovethenoise.ca For more information you can check out: KCRW: http://www.kcrw.com/people/kramer_jason?role=host Elias Arts: http://eliasarts.com/elias-arts-hires-new-head-of-music-supervision-jason-kramer/ Follow Jason on Twitter: @kcrwkramer
Cameo Carlson is currently head of digital business development at Borman Entertainment, a management company that takes care of artists including country stars Keith Urban and Lady Antebellum. Cameo has been at the forefront of the digital music revolution from its earliest stages and Billboard Magazine has named her one of the industry’s top mobile executives. She has been involved in radio, from terrestrial to online, and was the rock and alternative music director for AOL Music. She spent three years as manager of label relations and music programming at iTunes and has been the executive VP of Universal MoTown Republic where her role included mobile, online and digital sales, promotions and business development for artists such as Drake, Amy Winehouse, Lil Wayne, and Jack Johnson to name a few. With Lil Wayne, she made the rare move of releasing six songs from "Tha Carter III" as individual downloads on iTunes before the album was released, using the "Complete My Album" feature to drive album sales. The result: 52% of his digital album sales came as a result of "Complete My Album" purchases. She has been responsible for three of the 10 biggest digital albums in history as well as breaking mobile ringtone records for first week sales, top-selling of all time and number of multi-platinum sales. To say Cameo can share some insight into the current industry is putting it lightly! We talk about all kinds of things including digital strategy, how to engage fans depending on the music genre, how to get featured on the front page of iTunes, and a whole lot more! Aaron Bethune. Music Specialist.
After being away a few weeks getting married and spending time with family and friends I am back with a new episode of "Above The Noise." This week I have Mike James on the show and he has a ton of information to share! From writing Billboard hits to radio promoting, music publishing and music placements, Mike has a great wealth of music industry knowledge! He is the owner of Milk Music Co., a publishing company administered by Netwerk One Music, and co-founder and president of HipJoint, a production company and label with distribution via Universal Music. Mike has had success with artists of all styles. Kelly Rowland "Unity" - released worldwide on her Diva Deluxe album - Top 10 radio hit in Canada, Delerium "Dust In Gravity" - Hipjoint were the top line writers on this track that achieved US Billboard #1 status on the Dance/Club Play chart in 2010, Calvin Klein CK1 - Hipjoint's song "We Are One" was used as the positioning track for Calvin Klein's worldwide relaunch of CK1 in 2009 Mika Nakashima "Candy Girl" - The Japanese superstar recently took this Hipjoint track to #4 on Japan's Oricon Weekly Singles Chart, Shiloh "Operator (A Girl Like Me)" - Hipjoint discovered this Canadian artist at 13 and wrote and produced her platinum debut hit for her (Universal Music Canada/Universal Republic), Nikon Cool Pix - Nikon used Hipjoint's track "Bounce With Me" by Kreesha Turner as it's positioning song for a series of Nikon Hip Joint Productions Mike JamesCool Pix ads featuring Ashton Kutcher, NFL Network - The NFL has chosen the Hipjoint written and produced "Crank It Up" by The Young Goulets to promote 2010 NFL Thursday Night Football. With success at writing hits, promoting singles on the radio, placing music in TV and film, as well as developing his businesses I have asked Mike what he does to be heard above the noise in all that he does! Aaron Bethune. In our conversation we discuss: What makes a hit Writing for radio Music discovery Finding new talent Music placements What are the parts that make up a successful artist? What is success? How you get heard "Above The Noise."
After speaking with experts on the business side of the industry as well as established artists, now it is time to talk to the consumer and fan! This week I have 15 year old Shimone on the show. Shimone has been a great person to talk to as he is a music consumer, music fan and a budding young musician. He is a potential client for producers and studios, and is part of the generation targeted by a lot of the experts I have spoken to. At 15 he has the ability to make some money and choose where he spends it, even get a loan if need be from his parents and pay them back. It is interesting where he spends this money, how he values music, where he discovers music, what is "cool," how he experiences music, how much music he listens to, etc... While originally from the Czech Republic Shimone now lives in Malibu. With friends in both countries and trips to visit Europe multiple times a year, it is interesting to find out about the music scenes, the different music trends, what is considered hip, and what similarities and differences exist, etc... I cannot recommend more highly listening to what Shimone has to say as his insight is as eye opening to your marketing, sales, branding, fanbase building, etc... as any of the other experts who have appeared on the show so far! Aaron Bethune.
This week I have Jo Burt on the show. I have been talking to a lot of people on the business side of the industry but this week I am talking with a musician who has “done it all.” Not every one get a chance to play at Wembley Stadium or fly around on jets with Elton John, let alone do it with so many artists like Jo has. Jo was a founding member of Sector 27 with Tom Robinson – and a member of Virginia Wolf with Jason Bonham. Burt also recorded with Freddie Mercury on his solo album, Mr. Bad Guy and was the bassist for Black Sabbath during their 1987 tour in support of the album The Eternal Idol. He has written, toured, and performed with many other artists, including The Troggs, Brian Setzer, Bob Geldof, Roger Taylor, James Reyne, The Sweet and many, many more. As you can imagine Jo has quite the story to tell. For this reason we decided to do this podcast in two sections. This is “The Jo Burt Story” and in two weeks (17.07.12) we will follow it up. And when we do we want it to be with questions from YOU! Aaron Bethune. To get your questions to Jo please send them to: e-mail: abovethenoise (at) playitloudmusic (dot) com Twitter: @playitloudmusic Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/playitloudmusic Soundcloud: http://www.soundcloud.com/abovethenoise Wordpress: http://www.playitloudmusic.wordpress.com
I have to say speaking with Steve was a fascinating experience. The world of audio branding and how it brings music into our everyday is very cool. How music affects the way we purchase and consume products and experiences, as well as remember and associate them is eye opening. Steve's psychology background mixed with his branding and marking experience and his passion for music make him the audio branding guru he is! Aaron Bethune. http://www.playitloudmusic.com I will mention there is a little noise on and off until the 16min 50secs mark. This is generated from Steve’s mic brushing against his clothing. Crystal clear and noise free after that:) Here is a little more on Steve: Always one to take the unexpected path, Steve left a career in the fields of social psychology, research and statistics to pursue his love for music and production. Landing in Nashville, he worked as an independent composer, A&R director, record producer, music house executive and publishing consultant. In 2003 he followed another fork in the road, working as a consultant to develop and execute brand management strategies for a client roster that included corporations, advertising agencies, commercial music houses, record labels, publishing companies, marketing firms and entertainers. Eventually, Steve discovered that all these paths led to a place where marketing, psychology, sound and philosophy converged. He stepped into the role of CEO/CCO of iV in 2005, positioning the company to be a leader in the growing field of audio branding. In 2009, he took his act on the road, believing that the combination of Nashville’s diverse creative community, coupled with his understanding of audio branding as a process, would connect globally. He founded iV2 in Frankfurt, Germany, with business partner and friend Uli Reese. Working together, Steve and Uli have quickly established iV and iV2 as companies with a shared vision for innovative audio branding strategies, a passion for creative excellence and a dedication to client service. The companies’ combined catalog includes work for Nike, Coca-Cola, McDonalds, Burger King, Toyota, Dodge, Ford, Audi, Opel, Union Investment, Trojan, Jacob’s, Melitta, Vodafone, Nestea, Arla, Clausthaler, Choice Hotels, TV Movie and many more. When not bouncing back and forth between Nashville and Frankfurt, Steve enjoys pursuing photography, facilitating dialogue groups on issues of diversity and exploring the relationship between chaos and creativity. Steve Keller http://blog.ivgroup.cc/
Your brand is a huge part of getting heard above the noise, staying above the noise, and making a living doing it. Your brand is your reputation and it is what is going to sell tickets, shirts, music and more. Everything you do and everything you say plays into your brand. Knowing the importance of branding I spoke with author and brand expert Steve Jones about building and managing a brand. Aaron Bethune. For nearly 30 years, Steve Jones has worked in the music industry in the US, Canada, and the Caribbean. He's had a front row seat to the rise (and sometimes fall) of some of rock & roll's biggest. Combining his two passions, music and business, Steve takes the lessons learned from the greatest acts in rock history and applies them directly to business. Here is a little about his book Brand Like A Rock Star: Build a business as consistent as AC/DC and as surprising as KISS. Create fans as dedicated as Jimmy Buffett and The Grateful Dead. Be as passionate as U2 and as focused as Bob Marley. Brand Like A Rock Star reveals the core marketing and branding strategies behind the success of the world's greatest bands and uses them to make your business rich and famous. http://brandlikearockstar.com/
This is the first podcast in my series "Above The Noise." The purpose of these podcasts is to find out what it takes to permeate to the top. With the physical ability to only listen to 5% of new music released every week (thanks to Jay Frank for this stat) it is clear that the true task is to be "Heard Above The Noise." The interviews will be with the people behind the music and the people behind the business of this industry. We will be sharing conversations with musicians, composers, marketing and branding gurus, social media experts, industry leaders, thought provokers and futurists! On this occasion it is my pleasure to sit down with friend and composer Andrew Oye. If your are still trying to figure out how to make a living in music and how to get your music from your home studio to the big screen you'll find all the information and more here! Thanks and untl next time, stay above the noise! Aaron Bethune www.playitloudmusic.com Andrew Oye is an award-winning composer from British Columbia, Canada. He has had his music featured in shows such as Transformers 3, Californication, Dexter, Lost, CSI, The Office, Sons Of Anarchy, 2010 Olympics, Hawaii Five O, Kath and Kim, and many others. He has also collaborated with notable musicians and actors like Barry Pepper, Ryan Hoyle of Collective Soul fame, and the late great T Lavitz of Dixie Dregs fame. Since 2006 Oye has been writing production music for various publishers in the US and Canada. He recently opened his own production library DirectComposer.Com. To date Oye has composed over 1000 pieces of music that have been used in hundreds of productions throughout Canada, USA, Australia, and Europe. If you watch some of the hottest shows on TV, you have likely heard the music of Andrew Oye.