I personally think that the best way to learn something, is the “hard” way. By just getting stuck in and doing it.
Why?
Because learning on the job and practically doing the task will give me an actual experience of it, which I know will stay in my head much longer than just knowing the theory of it.
How do you take on information?
I personally take on information better visually or audibly, compared to reading it myself. This means I prefer slideshows, podcasts and videos as apposed to text books, magazines and articles. I’m a very visual person.
As I know this, I figure that by practically doing what it is I’m thinking about and having the experience of it, it will create a clear visual for me and will embed a new process in my head for future reference.
There are two bonuses here:
It’s an opportunity for me to learn from my mistakes and grow
I’ll be able to decipher for myselfwhat the most important things I need to know are and not just try and learn EVERYthing to try and cover all possible scenario’s.
When I’m reading to learn, as apposed to doing to learn (especially when just starting something) I’m not always 100% about the full information I’m actually going to need, some I’m cramming in as much as possible, even though some of it may be irrelevant.
Maybe I don’t want to go about it in the same way everyone else has? (even if there are tried and tested methods). I agree you have to have a basic working knowledge of something
before you do it, but by over studying it, you start to just replicate what everyone else is doing and become part of the crowd.
By doing it yourself, you will find your own rhythm and ways of doing things.
Don’t see it as the “hard” option, its an opportunity for you to learn
The other good thing about just getting stuck in is that you will more than likely learn even more than you set out to. You will Inevitably come across “brick walls” and “barriers” stopping you from getting to your goal, but depending on your perception, these “barriers” can be viewed as opportunities for you to learn. And more times then not, once your past that barrier, you’ll remember the lesson forever.
Yes, you can learn about the mistakes from the people who went before you, but there is so much more value in learning the lessons yourself, especially for your personal growth.
Don’t be scared to just jump in and do what it is you love, change your perception so that every challenge you come across is really an opportunity for you to learn and grow as a person.
Thanks for reading! Cleaus N.Browne
Jun 25
Guildford Based Progressive Metal Band Pravus - MusoMecca Artist Interviews
The Interview
Bio
Pravus were formed in 2009 and are based in Guildford. Now recording material that spans from the 70s progressive rock sounds to modern day groove-laden death metal. our style is Progressive Metal, long songs, in depth concepts, varying vocal passages, chunking guitars, clean sections and technical silliness. For fans of: Opeth, Meshuggah, Gojira, Mastodon, Neurosis, Between the Buried and Me, The Faceless, Animals As Leaders
Music
You can connect with Pravus in the following places:
Your brand is your stamp on the world. Your brand represents everything about your company/band.
It goes to a much deeper level then just creating a name and logo.
Its the window into what you do, and encompasses EVERYTHING you do as an artist.
This means your ethos, your commitment, your work ethic, your style, who you do business with, your reputation, you beliefs… These all come together to create what we call your brand.
Just look at Apple. Yes, they have great products, but do you think people are really buying for the products?
No, they are buying because they recognise, know and trust the Apple brand. They know what to expect straight away from an Apple product.
Sleek design, speed and reliability.
Be conscious of what you are doing in the public eye, both good and bad, as this is what people will remember your brand for.
Your Music is part of your brand, not the be all and end all
As the title just said, music is not the be all and end all of your brand as a musician/artist.
Yes, of course your music is important and it should be at the core of everything that you do, but, its not like the old days anymore. If you want to step up and put yourself above the noise, you can’t expect for someone else get you there, you need to think bigger, you need to expand into being an entertainment entity, a distinct and stand alone presence in your field.
Start thinking about more than just playing live and selling records.
Think merchandise, sponsorships, partnerships with other bands and businesses, synchronisations, licensing, tv (maybe a youtube channel specially for something else your band does), fully branded website, giving your fans a complete service, fan loyalty and more.
Going down these avenues will not only create a solid presence within the industry and build brand recognition, but it will also bring in a whole host of new revenue streams at a time when independent artists need to maximise as many revenue streams as possible.
The Internet makes it easy for us to explore and try new things, if you are not already, now is an amazing time to start thinking about building your brand.
 :
… So make sure you have a plan
So, how are you going to create YOUR brand?
I am also working on this process right now. I have only really just begun starting to figure out the direction I want to take with MusoMecca.
I am still working on it, but heres my plan so far:
Brand Name: “MusoMecca”
Tag Line: “Preparing You For Your Music Career”
Ethos: “Aiding The Development of Emerging Music Artists”
I then have what I call the “MusoMecca Pillars”. These are the main services that I will provide via MusoMecca and intend to develop, strengthen and evolve over time. My main features if you like. Following this, I then have three core aims that I strive to achieve, my long term goals.
This, I think, is the perfect way to ensure I always work to do a better job and offer the best service I can. As an example, one of my aims for MusoMecca is:
“To be the No.1 point of call of information for Emerging Independent Artists”.
Its a bold and large aim, but thats what you need. It is in no way unrealistic to me at all, but I know in order to get there, everyday, I’m going to have to continually get better and work on it everyday.
Not only is that going to help me achieve my goal, but its going to help me grow on a personal and business level as well… Setting aims is a WIN WIN!
Finally I have objectives, S.M.A.R.T objectives. Smart stands for:
Specific
Measurable
Achievable
Realistic and
Timely
These sit just under my aims, each time I reach a SMART objective, I set a new, higher objective that coincides with my ultimate aim.… And so far, that is my basic plan for not only reaching my goals, but also to measuring how quickly I get there… Because I will get there.
…Because its time to embrace the future of our Industry
Lets face it, you are the future of our industry. Its going to be up to you to shape the way generations of musicians, artists and performers think about their art and how best to go about developing and distributing it.
Do you want the future generation of artists struggling, still pondering the right course of action to take? No, of course we don’t.
That doesn’t help our industry at all.
You can make sure they don’t have to by putting this to practice and proving that thinking and acting like a brand is a sustainable way for all muso’s to live their dream and fulfil their music career goals. Its time to become a brand.
Ask yourself this:
Do you look attractive to an Angel Investor?
As always, thanks for taking the time out to read this article and I welcome any comments. Cleaus N.Browne
Jun 16
MusoMecca Websites: Because Independent Artists Really Do Matter To Us!
Good Morning Muso’s!
Today i am proud to announce the launch of: MusoMecca Websites.
Read under “How Much Does It Cost” to get the chance to get a FREE desktop and mobile website with FREE hosting for a year!
What is MusoMecca Websites?
MusoMecca Websites is our new offering to independent artists. It is an amazing, cram packed, package deal.
See the mobile and desktop website + the offer in the video below:
What Will We Do For You?
- We shall install the wordpress.org content management system to your web hosting server (who we can also recommend and help you get started with)
- We shall then fully set up wordpress.org on that server for you
- Once set-up, we shall provide and install a FREE custom theme for you, that includes:
— A Blog
— A Shop (For both physical and digital products)
— Show Listing Area
— A Music Area
— A Videos Area
— A Bio Area
— A Photos Area & a Contact Page (Areas for social media links and a signing up form is also provided)
But that isn’t all..
We shall also be providing you will a fully mobile optimised version of this website within the package! Any basis updates that are available for your theme, we shall also install for you as and when they become available.
How Much Does It Cost?
- The Competition
Now as our core aim is to empower independent artists, we are launching with a competition! Which runs as follows: We have posted up this picture:
On the new MusoMecca Websites Facebook page. All you have to do is go to our page and share the picture, whoever then gets the most likes and shares from their page of the image, will win the competition… Simple!
The Prize:
A FREE desktop and mobile website + FREE web hosting for a year! Thanks to our partnership with “Smug Hosting” - www.smughosting.co.uk
- Introductory Offer
We shall also be doing an introductory offer. The first 20 artists that come to us to take us up on the MusoMecca Websites package will get this full service for just HALF PRICE (£50). This is on a first come, first serve basis… So get in contact with us as soon as you read this!
- Normal Price
The usual price for this service will be £100 one-time fee. After this, to run your website from month to month, it will cost you just £4/month and that is for your hosting costs.
The only other costs you shall incur is the cost for your domain name (which can be bought for around £10 at places like GoDaddy.com and more)
Subscribe for Maximum Benefits
We shall also be operating a pay monthly subscription plan (if you opt for it, it is in no way mandatory) for £5/month.
In this subscription you will receive:
- FULL 24/7 Maintenance support
- Updates (as with the unpaid option) but also new upgrades, such as better plugins and re-styled features as and when we make them available
- FULL access to all of the new desktop and mobile themes that i create and make available!
All of this for just £5/month.
- So, What are ALL of the costs involved?
From start to finish the only costs you will incur are the following:
- The Cost for your domain name (Around £10 from places like GoDaddy and Ghandi)
- The One Time Package Cost To Us (£50-£100.. Depending on when you get to us!)
- Your Monthly Web Hosting Costs (£4/month with Smug Hosting)
- Your Monthly Subscription Fee (£5/month if you opt for our subscription service)
Get in Touch
Where can you get in touch with us to get this package?
Well we have set up a dedicated area on the Musomecca.com website so that you can enter all of your requirements and details and send it straight to us.
Wordpress.org is THE most powerful content management platform on the web today with full flexibility and customisation.
There are plugins for just about every feature you could imagine! With Wordpress.org you finally have a home on the Internet that can be taken in any direction at a moments notice!
As always, thanks for reading and i look forward to hearing back from you and seeing you over on Facebook!
Cleaus N.Browne
Ghosts Wear Clothes Album Review
Introducing you to ‘Ghosts Wear Clothes’ and their 7 track album ‘Threads’…
So who are Ghosts Wear Clothes?
Ghosts Wear Clothes are a three-piece collective hailing from Nottingham, UK. Comprising of Iain Anderson: Guitars, Bass, Video Editing - Wain Evans: Bass, Guitars, Synths and James Neep: Keys, Bass, Guitars, Samples.
About the Album
Their album ‘Threads’ is a collection of deep and expressive eerie drums, synths, bass and guitars that allow you to sit back, close your eyes and let your imagination conjure up vivid and powerful images and scenarios.
In my opinion this Ghosts Wear Clothes album is a synchronisation haven for TV and film producers.
Theatrically as well as sonically pleasing these tracks will enhance any acted performance they are applied to.
The groups first track ‘Stay In Doors and Watch The Buildings Burn’ can be viewed below.
You’ll see what I mean :)
The rest of the album is just as strong as this track and I also recommend ‘Darkness Creeps in Quick These Days’!
Get The Album
You can buy the album in both physical and digital format. The physical CD is available for £7 and comes with a free digital download of the album, whilst just the Digital Download is available for £5.
Thanks for heading over and checking out this album review!
I hope to see you over here again soon!
Cleaus N.Browne
Jun 13
Step by Step: How To Get Involved With Crowdfunding
Crowdfunding
I know by now you have heard and maybe even know people who have got involved with crowdfunding, and I’m sure you would have heard the recent news of Amanda Palmer reaching over $1million on her kick-starter campaign… very impressive!
So have you thought about crowdfunding your next project? or maybe you’re not sure how to go about it? I think it’s definitely something you should look into as a source of revenue for your next tour, album release, video shoot, piece of merchandise etc as it continues to gain more and more traction in our industry.
So Where and How Do I Get Involved?
There are a wide range of platforms already in this market that offer the ability to crowdfund, I have collated a list of some of the good ones I have come across:
You’ll find with crowdfunding websites there are a few main features that you will have to include, these are:
The Pitch
Now, ideally, your pitch will be in the form of a video and will be displayed prominently on your main funding page. This is going to convey who you are and what you are offering in a clean, concise way. This is where you grab people’s attention and pull them into your offer. Make it count! This will then be accompanied by a written description of who you are, why this is such an amazing opportunity for people to get involved with what you’re offering and more about your project.
The Amount You Are Looking For and The Length Of The Campaign
You will have to set the total amount of funding you are looking for and also the length of the campaign. When you do this, for example, if you are trying to fund a new album launch, make sure you have a full plan of action that includes all of your figures for your outgoings and figures for your income, don’t just pluck a number out of the air, it’s not going to help you or your campaign. What if after you release your campaign you realise that for what you actually want to do, you need a lot more money? It doesn’t look great having to come back to your investors asking for more money. So have a well though out plan.
The Fun Part… The Incentives
What are you going to offer to entice people to back your project? This is where you can really get creative and try to think of things that you know your fans are going to want and appreciate. In this section of your campaign you will be able to set funding options, such as:
£1 - Get a thank you or some kind of mention
£10 - The above + a copy of the CD
£25 - The Two above + Free ticket to the launch gig
£50 - The Three above + Signed CD + Piece of customised merc
Of course all of the above is just an example, you can offer whatever you like as an incentive and set pricing brackets anywhere from £1 - Thousands (but you better have some great incentives for the high-end). So have some fun and get creative with it!
Plan For How Your Going To Get Your Investors
You have a plan for how your going to execute your project, right? Well you’ll also need a plan for making potential backers aware of your offer and getting them interested. Leverage your existing fan base for maximum results.Your fans already like your music, so they will be more likely to help you create further music experiences for them to enjoy. Present them with the bigger picture and empower them to realise they are becoming a business investor, whilst at the same time helping a creative talent to reach their dreams.
Honour Your Word
Now work, work, work! Do what you have told your investors you were going to do and be sure to keep them informed along the way. You can even ask for their input and thoughts on certain aspects of your project to create an even closer relationship, which you may then be able to leverage in the future for other crowdfunding project ideas you may have, but it all starts with the timely, quality delivery of this first project.
Conclusion
If people like you and what you stand for and you have a viable plan that your passionate about, there is no reason for you not to take this route to build your next project. This is the ultimate two-way interaction tool for you and your fans to be able to work together to create something amazing you can all be proud of!
Thanks for reading!
Cleaus N.Browne
May 29
You’re An Entrepreneur
Thats Right!…
You’ve probably realised by now that in this digital music landscape we find ourselves in you have to not only ensure you stay on top of your music and performances, but you also have to stay on top of your business affairs. In this post i am just briefly going to talk about what it means to be an entrepreneur (something that i’m still trying to get to grips with as well).
Definition
An Entrepreneur is defined in the dictionary as:
A person who organises and manages any enterprise,especially a business, usually with considerable initiative and risk.
You as an artist or your band are the Enterprise (company or project formed for commercial purposes). For this reason, you should treat what you do like a business/company, every company has profit and loss accounts, overheads, marketing strategies etc and the more you can understand and put yourself in a position to learn this stuff and think like an Entrepreneur, the better off and more prosperous you will be in your endeavours.
Your Hands In All The Pots
As an entrepreneur you no longer take a back seat in the other aspects of your music career such as organising tours, photo shoots, video shoots, interviews, licensing your music etc unless of course you have a manager. Yes, a manger can take care of all of these things for you but it would still be in your best interests to ensure you understand and know what is happening in all areas of your music career, after all… Its your career. Think about it, what if your manager leaves? Or you want to get rid of him/her? Do you know what latest deals they were working on? Who they were talking to about your brand? How far were those talks? These are all question that, if you know the answer to, will help you stay onto of your career. As an entrepreneur you don’t have to know EVERYTHING about everything, but it will benefit you to have an understanding of all the areas you are working in.
What You Put In, Is What You Get Out Of It
As with anything in life, what you put into it is what you get out of it. At the end of the day your future is now in your hands, which to me is extremely exciting because it means your working for yourself, you have the freedom to make your own choices however drastic or out of the box and you have the chance to have real freedom for the rest of your life as well as fully concentrating on what you love.. You can’t get better then that, right?
Face The Music
If you are worried about taking the first step into being your own boss, don’t be! The worst thing you can do is let it play on your mind and worry about taking that step because the more time you spend thinking about what could go wrong, the less likely you are to do it. There are risks involved with being an Entrepreneur, but those risks should be calculated risks that, if they pay off, are so much more valuable and rewarding then if you hadn’t of taken that chance at all , and you may find that a lot of your preconceived notions about ‘going it alone’ are just unfounded. As long as you have a viable plan and the passion, drive and flexibility to see it through to the finish, theres no reason not to jump into this exciting world of Entrepreneurship!
The way i look at it:
When im 90 years old, looking back at what i have done and achieved in my life, do i really want to be sitting there and thinking:
‘I wonder how my life would have turned out if i had just took that chance’…
Hell No! Don’t be afraid to jump in and get your hands dirty, because if you don’t you will regret it for the rest of your life.
Thanks for reading! All comments are welcome.
Cleaus N.Browne
MusoMecca Newsletter Revamp
Hey!
I just wanted to write this quick blog post to let you know that the next newsletter, that will be delivered at the end of this month, will be slightly different to the previous one.
Previously…
In the previous newsletter we collated a range of links and displayed these in a colour coded list (Featured Stories, Music Industry News and Music Marketing Tips). The plan was to have a monthly newsletter containing the information stated above but the amount of relevant news and music marketing articles that I wanted to include just made these lists really long and very tedious for someone trying to read them.
So for this reason I have decided to change the newsletter to a fortnightly thing.
From Now On…
So from now on every two weeks (beginning the end of this month) you will recieve the MusoMecca Monthly Round-Up in your inbox and instead of displaying lists of recent articles, we shall provide links to http://engagement.musomecca.com and http://news.musomecca.com, where all of the news and tips are stored.
When visiting these pages you will notice that all of the content is categorised by the most recent trending topics, such as How-To’s, Videos, Advice and Tips on engagement.musomecca.com and Spotify, Facebook, Music Business and Labels on news.musomecca.com.
Each category you click on will display the most recent articles we have shared to date on that topic in descending order.
We shall still have the featured area in the newsletter so we can highlight the most exciting and biggest moves in the industry and all other features such as offers on products and services/latest blog posts and anything else we think may help!
So to everyone already signed up, I hope you enjoy the new newsletter and to everybody that has yet to sign up, please come and join us and let us know what you think!
You can sign up to the newsletter using the ‘MusoMecca Round-Up’ form in the sidebar »»
You can also sign up to this blog using the form just below the ‘MusoMecca Round-Up’ form in the sidebar »»
I look forward to seeing and hearing from you soon!
Thanks
Cleaus N.Browne
Melic - An Eclectic Blend of Musicians - MusoMecca Artist Interviews
Melic are a four-piece band based in London. Their sound is derived from an eclectic blend of musicians - fusing a metal drummer, a funk-rock bassist, a classically trained pianist/saxophonist, and a singer/song-writer rock guitarist.
Formed in 2008, the band have recorded two independently released EPs while cutting their teeth on the London live music circuit.
In 2011 the band played shows with the likes of Katchafire, Ladi 6, Jayson Norris and I Am Giant, and performed at numerous festivals with acts like INXS, Status Quo and Shihad to name a few.
Melic’s brand new EP titled ‘Nowhere I’d Rather Be’ was released on 17th February 2012 and was produced by Paul Matthews ( I Am Giant, Tadpole, Stylus).
Keep an eye out for the music video for the title single - coming very soon!!!
“London four piece Melic successfully blended their diverse backgrounds - classical, funk, metal and rock - with ‘Nowhere I’d Rather Be’ a particular highlight”. - The Independent (UK) (Cornbury Festival Review)
“A very intriguing young band from London that use their disparate influences to create a very eclectic form of progressive-indie-rock, which is the only way we can describe their very unique sound. Besides being very accomplished musicians, Melic write some great tunes too and they aren’t afraid to experiment”. - Play Music Pick Up Magazine
“Nowhere I’d Rather Be is the sound of a band scaling new heights in song writing and saleability, while maintaining their high standard of musicianship. Melic are proving that you do not need to dumb things down to write catchy rock songs” - Dan Issitt - Aim Low Press
