Q & A Friday

I was scheduled to play at a local club a few weeks ago and my set was canceled due to weather. My performances are a major contributor to my livelihood through bookings and small cd and merchandise sales at those mentioned performances. Is there anything I can do to secure a booking fee in the event my show is canceled due to something like weather?

- Mark C. - Jacksonville, FL

Mark,

First I would like to say that I am not a lawyer nor am I qualified to give you legal advice. What I advise you to do is to either hire a lawyer familiar with contractual law or at least do some research and create a contract of your own. There are many places on the internet that will give you an idea of what an agreement might include.

One item you might include is a "rain out" clause or something that will protect you in the event of a cancellation that is due to something beyond your control. Some artists or bands will have a clause like this in their agreement that will ask the venue to pay them 50% of their agreed paid amount in the event their show is canceled due to weather. This, like any other requirement, is negotiable with the venue. The worst they can say is no and then it is your decision to play...or not to play. Good luck!


It seems the latest trend in the indie music universe is to give your music away. How can I make a living off of giving my music away?

- Jessica H. - Houston, TX


Jessica,

The trend of giving your music away has gained quite a bit of momentum over the past few years especially with the growth of popularity in digital downloads. Unfortunately it has become a nature of the beast in music promotion. First let's look at why it has become a necessity to give away some of your music. You want to give as many people a sample of your work. Sure you could give them a 30-second sample however you and I both know that a snippet of a song never really gives the listener the full experience. This is where your flexibility and commitment to fan relations comes into play. Your willingness to give a full song away not only gives a listener the full representation of your work in that song but shows that you are about your fans. Now sure you may be doing this just for money but you have to connect with your potential fan base in order to secure the longevity of your future career. Fans appreciate a full download rather than a small sample.

Don't look at it as you giving away a free song that could make money. You should consider the potential money made from that song as part of your advertising budget. In better words...look at the money not made as money you would have spent in marketing your music. Those free downloads should be viewed like an ad you would spend money on in the paper or commercial. Remember that offering the free download is just a very small piece in getting your music heard. The real work is promoting your music and getting people to actually download it.

Free downloads can and will encourage listeners and fans to purchase more of your music and attend more of your shows resulting in more sales.

If you have questions you would like answered please submit them to: tuneblog@tuneray.com

Stay Tuned...