Who’s the customer?
Wednesday, June 23rd, 2010 | Uncategorized
It’s interesting to me to think about all the supposed woes of the “music industry. I can’t really be that sympathetic although I realize that many families depend on those revenue streams. But, as an artist, I’m really the customer of a record label, I’m purchasing services if I go that route as a career choice. So, many artists I’ve talked with think the best thing in the world for their career would be a record deal. Mostly because they don’t know they’re the customer of the label. Whether you pay upfront or on the back end is the only difference. They really only want you if you already have an established audience that they can attempt to build from and the days of mega stars are over, because music is competing with too many other diversions. There is so much entertainment out there these days, it’s daunting to try to find entertainment of any real lasting value, and now music is not a dominant player in most peoples lives. It’s just a soundtrack to a video game, movie, or tv show. Or, just muzak to fill the air with something, which oftentimes is just irritating to me. Then of course there are the ’sports’ clubs, bar and grill etc. 15 tv’s all playing something different, with a noisy environment, and then just to add insult to injury lets put a guitar player in the corner to sing a few tunes. What’s the point?
Club owners are just trying to make an effort to entertain and turn a profit, which is getting tougher and tougher in these rough economic times. But, then there are the musicians who think their customer is the bar owner or restaurant owner, maybe in some ways, but not really. Musicians think the bar owner should pay for services, but the artist should be responsible for his or her own audience. What you’re really doing in most cases is asking a club owner to share his customers. Unless you really have your own draw, and then don’t need a clubs customer base, and you don’t need them to pay either. Your fans should pay because they’re the customer. It used to be said that “you’ve got to pay the piper”, but most folks don’t really want to pay the piper so much anymore because too many pipers will ‘pipe’ for next to nothing or free, and many don’t seem to hear any qualitative differences.
So, ultimately if you are a musician or an artist, with all the “social networking” going on with the internet it seems like it should be easier, but it’s not. The reason is not that these tools are not good or effective in some way or at some point, it’s just that you still have to do the real work of developing your talent, and getting your act together. Then you have to present it to people even if it’s one or two at a time, and if you’re great at what you do people will establish your career for you, because they will become your customers, and then it is your responsibility to treat them well, give them fair prices, and a great experience.
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