KVR Audio

snooky · Post by **snooky** » Tue Jun 29, 2004 7:13 pm

If you really want a record deal, the easiest way (if you are an unsolicited artist) is to contact new or small indie labels, they almost always wants to hear from new artists (that´s how I did it)

Rellik · Post by **Rellik** » Tue Jun 29, 2004 7:15 pm

How do you know when you're good enough

Hypertone · Post by **Hypertone** » Tue Jun 29, 2004 7:17 pm

Just an honest question, can an indie artist even sell enough cd's to cover production costs in this age of exponential piracy? I often wonder how much of an impact piracy has on the little guy.

munchkin · Post by **munchkin** » Tue Jun 29, 2004 7:18 pm

Sleek Month wrote:Labels want 22 year-olds
...-S.

You'll always be 22 to us Sleek...

Keep on truckin'!

That's what I say. The great thing about the internet is you can be anonymous or design your own persona.

Even if no one is listening I can create any type of music I fancy. As long as it trance.

One day I'll break through and from my rocking chair I'll arthriticly point at the radio and say, "Tooooooooon!" All the other wrinklies in the Sunset retirement home will start fitting while I nick all their largactil. Roll on bed sores!

snooky · Post by **snooky** » Tue Jun 29, 2004 7:20 pm

Rellik wrote:How do you know when you're good enough

when ppl like what you do, simple as that.
But it´s your musical ambition that comes first!

Sepheritoh · Post by **Sepheritoh** » Tue Jun 29, 2004 7:32 pm

Sleek said about everything I have to say. I have been in a much smaller local band than you have been, but, I've been there, done that, sold the T-shits, and frankly my dear, I don't have the personnality.

Now I am just very happy to have the internet where people can listen to my humble stuff.

I have always loved film music, but have only really since the start of this year tried to compose in that style. I am now just hoping I can get some tracks unto video. I want no pay for now, just the satisfaction that I have accomplished some challenge in doing a new style of music.

Rellik · Post by **Rellik** » Tue Jun 29, 2004 7:36 pm

mindless wrote:
Rellik wrote:How do you know when you're good enough
when ppl like what you do, simple as that.
But it´s your musical ambition that comes first!

Well... by that reasoning, I've been good enough for a while now

I guess when you say "people" you mean people who have influence?

BONES · Post by **BONES** » Wed Jun 30, 2004 12:59 am

Rellik wrote:How do you know when you're good enough

Great question. I had people putting up cash for me to record years before I was ever happy with my sound. I listen to that stuff now and feel sick. Its krap and I am not surprised at all that no-one ever bought it. The first time I was happy with the results of a recording session was when I recorded my first album for CD in 1995. I can still hear tha tnow without cringing, even though I have moved on considerably from there.

What has worked most recently for us was finding a manager with established acts who had much more leverage with labels than us. I am positive that Metropolis would never have picked up our album if we had sent it but when it came from FUNKER VOGT's manager it had some kind of instant credibility. And it seems that such a foot in the door is all we'll need, provided we can maintain our standards, to keep releasing material as we get it done.

For me that is most of my ambitions achieved. There was a time when I would love to have been able to gig two or three times a week but these days I enjoy my work a lot more and find the balance between work and music [now really just a hobby] pretty good: I still have time to follow my inspiration when it strikes but I don't have time to get frustrated when I hit a dry patch.

opiadream · Post by **opiadream** » Wed Jun 30, 2004 2:00 am

I'm not sure I'll ever be ready so I'm just working on a bunch of songs for a cd anyway.

just gonna try and sell it thru ampcast though and find out if it's even worth trying to get on a label.

xander · Post by **xander** » Wed Jun 30, 2004 2:33 am

My recommendation is to develop your best songs, get some opinions from people you respect, and then send it in to one of the several internet radio stations.

There are now quite a few with huge listener bases that will play anything that they like (as long as you encode it properly, etc.)

Like: www.radioparadise.com

There is another internet radio station and I think it's located somewhere in Oregon or Washington State that does nothing but indies and they encourage everyone to send in their toonz. If I can find it again, I'll post it up here.

IF you choose to do that, you first should make a little web page about yourself and submit your song(s) to the CDDB. There is free software available (do a google on "submit info to CDDB") that will take all the info and submit it to all the CDDB engines out there, so that when someone loads up one of your MP3s and they connect to a CDDB (like in Windows Media Player or Winamp), they'll get all your song info, poster art, etc., that goes along with that song.

If you do all that, when the internet stations go to play your songs, they can see you're serious and will often post the CDDB info on their sites while your song is playing.

opiadream · Post by **opiadream** » Wed Jun 30, 2004 2:34 am

thanx for the info Xander

xander · Post by **xander** » Wed Jun 30, 2004 3:03 am

opiadream wrote:thanx for the info Xander

I am compelled to add, in light of the sheer raw excellent talent of most of the artists posting songs to K-v-R, some of the monsters who are getting copious amounts of airplay on the indie channels wouldn't make very much of an impression in here, and I am being completely fair-minded.

I think most of the peeps in here are just too freakin lazy - like moi

Check out some of the indies getting played on radio paradise and you'll see what I mean. There's one guy - a rather nice blokus importantus
who get's airplay some only dream of and he sounds like cross between Big Bird and Bugs Bunny on speed (no names).

*Oh - and edit just to say, he's getting that airplay because he did all the ground work.*

rjt · Post by **rjt** » Wed Jun 30, 2004 3:09 am

Well, in answer to the original question..... I write music that I like... mostly accoustic piano (kinda what some people say is "relaxing" music.... even though I don't hear it that way) and also some "concept" electronic music. I play about 2-4 times a year in town (Portland, OR). So a couple of years ago, I recorded my first CD (piano). It is availabl on the internet and I sell it when I play out. A lot of my friends have bought it. I've sold about 150-200 copies which covers the graphic art, manufactureing and mastering costs (I recorded it at home) I guess everthing from now on is pure gravy

I have a day job and that lets me play and record what I want. Even when I play live, I tell them what I play and if they don't like it, they have to hire someone else. That keeps music fun and enjoyable for me.... of course, I don't make lots of money. In fact, if you factor in equipment and software costs... I'd be losing money... but I love it.

At least I have a CD to show for it and 800 copies... anybody need a piano CD?

Take Care

Toker · Post by **Toker** » Wed Jun 30, 2004 3:22 am

I sell music for commercials This is how I make my living with chess on the side for grocery money

I play sax for a living, with a little backgammon on the side for groceries and my beloved daw.....

T

mystahr · Post by **mystahr** » Wed Jun 30, 2004 4:19 am

Ambitions a plenty; but to say I want to make it as an artist

I've been in the spotlight as a DJ for about ten years and that direct contact between audience and the DJ was a great kick; when I stopped being a DJ 5 years ago, I said to myself I never want to be in the spotlight again.

Now little over a year back into making music, I feel more the sounddesigner/producer then I am an artist; yet the blood is thicker then water and slowly I am thinking of live-work again. One of the goals I have set for myself for this year is to try and get an hours recording done live (for which I am still patching and tweaking my equip).

At the moment I am working on a CD that has a special meaning to me personally. The songs for that are ready and selected, but getting them mastered is the hard part. Once that proces is ready I'll offer it for sales through ampcast/magnatune. But I can't be really bothered with making a demo and shop for labels.

I just love creating sounds and scapes and explore the possibilities of my equipment. And I will most surely be doing that for a long time coming. Should a label be interested I might consider it; but for me sharing my ideas and feelings as I allready do by sharing my works here at KvR is allready satisfying enough.

This past year has been a huge rollercoaster of emotions; and if it weren't for music, I'd have a hard time expressing myself. And that for me is the most important reason to make music.

My dreams: to just continue expanding on my gear and hopefully one day find myself with a modular system

So if I never make a dime from music I'd be okay with that, and should it, then most likely that money will be put back into my hobby.

what are people doing with all their masterpieces? Ambition?