The Game. By Bob Lefsetz

PUBLICITY

There must be a story, that first and foremost intrigues the writer who believes it will intrigue the reader, otherwise the effort is worthless. Many publicity people will take your money and they’ll send out mailings to people like me who will instantly delete them. If all you want is a listing that your music is coming out, or that you’re going on tour, a press release might be sufficient to achieve that, but not anything more. Publicity is a game. You’re selling and the writer/outlet is buying. Think of how hard it is to get someone to buy anything these days. Then think about how hard it will be to get someone overloaded with input to buy what you’re selling. The story must benefit them, and you only secondarily.

Having said all this, today most publicity is wasted. It reaches nobody, or those who do not care. Better to have targeted publicity, that reaches the core audience. Better to be narrow than broad. Specific rather than general. Only boomers and a few Gen-X’ers are reached by print advertising and broadcast/cable television. You reach everybody else via the internet. Facebook, YouTube, X, TikTok, Snapchat… Your story must be intriguing, if it is the audience will spread the word.

THE MUSIC

Is an advertisement for the act. Period. Unless you’re a rapper or a popster who will end up in the Spotify Top 50. If you’re complaining you’re not making money on your recorded music you’re missing the point. The key is to make it available so if someone is interested they can hear it with a click. And then a mysterious, unpredictable process happens, or not. Either the listener loves it so much that they tell other people about it or they do not. And if the listener likes it, they want more of it, and then will come to a show, buy merch. Think of ones and twos, not millions. An avid fan is worth more than a hundred, if not a thousand, passive ones. I wish we could be more targeted here, know exactly what will move the needle, but we rarely do. Only a few tracks are obvious hits. As for the rest, it’s unpredictable, history is littered with album tracks that became hits, and promoted tracks that did not. The key is to be in the marketplace, working, otherwise you don’t have a chance to catch fire. Fans want more music, more of you. Forget reaching those in the metaphorical last row, who are not passionate, concentrate all your efforts on the hard core.

As for the music itself… If you’re truly an artist, do whatever you want, follow your muse. But few people have this vision and talent. So the rest must study the market and see what is working and try to riff on that.

Also, if you catch fire, if you have a fan base, then you can expand. Don’t worry about being locked into expectations, burdened by history. Those days are through. Today there’s so much in the marketplace that if you miss, no one remembers. Keep stepping up to bat.

HONESTY/CREDIBILITY

This is what propelled Noah Kahan to stadiums. The more personal you are, the more you reveal your warts and problems, the greater the chance you have of hooking people. People are dying for connection, it is your goal to provide it. Sure, people like cartoons, raw entertainment too, but that usually does not bond a listener to you. A listener wants to believe that they know you and that you are speaking only to them, that if they meet you you’ll understand them and their life will be complete. Of course this is fantasy, but it’s this fantasy that creates hard core fans. You are an antidote to the rest of the world which is difficult and does not understand them.

Beware of messing up your image. Today everybody knows everything, or can find it out with a click. If you play a private for a dictator, if you party on the boat of an oligarch, people are going to know. And if your image is based on honesty, it’s going to take a hit. The TMZ acts playing the game the majors understand can get away with this, they’re essentially cartoons, however the market share of this music is declining. Literally. Will a new sound come along to replace it or will there just be a zillion niches…we don’t know.

PLAY LIVE

Period. That’s where the bond is solidified, at the show. Today there are two worlds, recordings and live performances, and the power has switched to the latter. If you want longevity in the music business then you must be able to play live. Making a hit record in your bedroom is nice, albeit difficult, but that does not mean anybody wants to pay to see you. And the most money is at the gig. So if you’re starting out, start playing out. Whether it be with guitars or synthesizers, you must have a show. Something that rivets those who are interested. This is not easy…to get anybody to pay attention to anybody playing music. And the show does not have to be perfect, but it must connect with the audience. The show must breathe, a click track usually works against you. Live is where you evidence your humanity.

Y0UR PERSONALITY/IDENTITY

It’s in your music, but that is no longer enough. You must have a presence online, a genuine presence, not one created by a team. Where people can look into your life, into your brain, and get to know you. Don’t worry about making a mistake, pissing people off, it goes with the territory. The more edges you have, the greater the chance people will be hooked.

And never ever be defensive online, never get into a flame/X/Twitter war unless someone high above you is punching down. And it’s best to fight back with humor.

DUES

You never stop paying them. You’re always practicing, always working, always building a platform to take you to the next level. It’s frustrating because you want the fame of yore, when MTV made you a worldwide star overnight, but those days are through, no use lamenting their passage. You must play by the new rules. And you must be not only digitally native, but digitally proficient. Most youngsters are, most oldsters are not. You must know how your smartphone and computer work, you must follow online trends in platforms and fads. Only by being aware of the marketplace can you win in the marketplace.

DON’T BE AFRAID

You’re going to piss people off. But the dirty little secret is not everyone is going to love you, and while you might be angering one slice of the population, another might be thrilled and cheer you on. Take a stand. And if you have any traction, that frequently becomes a story that spreads unto itself. Having said that, if you have no traction don’t send out e-mail saying you wrote a protest song or have a take on the issue du jour…who cares, it makes you look like a joke.

THE WILDERNESS

That’s where we are now. Anybody who tells you they’ve got it nailed is wrong. And those invested in the past are those who are losing out most in the future. You’ve got to be nimble. There is no formula. It’s all cottage industry. And remember, no one needs you or your music, absolutely no one. They need food and water and shelter, but not your music. Be thrilled if you have any traction at all. And if you don’t…you can keep on keepin’ on, that’s your choice, or maybe the universe is telling you to do something different.

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