[David Chislett]
David Chislett is a multi-talented South African speaker and writer. He graduated to national radio in 1994 when Barney Simon used him as a live radio correspondent on 5FM from London. David delivers a key note address, “Unleash Your Inner Rockstar” with Martin Schofield which teaches the hidden secrets of success from the music industry to businesses.
Touring: costs and marketing
As mentioned previously, touring costs money, and your outfit needs to be prepared to pay its own way once you leave home.
Touring: the sound situation
The idea of leaving home to hit the road on tour is what many musicians live for. In many ways it is the archetypal band activity: hanging with your mates, meeting new people and playing your music as if it is all you do.
The art of networking
Once you have crossed the line from wanting to be a musician to doing it, even on a very small scale, networking becomes the single most important business weapon you can possibly own.
What does a manager do? Pt2
One of the other key management functions that South Africans are used to is that of road managing. This is the term used to refer to what most managers do when they attend any live show by their clients.
What does a manager do? Pt1
This is a question that has about as many answers as people you ask. In an ideal world, where a large amount of business is conducted, artist managers are the people who handle the real business relations.
Do you need a manager?
The question of whether a band needs management and, if so, when, is one that many, many artists and managers have argued over for decades.
When should you create merchandise?
How long is a piece of string? If you are serious about your band and intend to be in the business for the long haul and actually make a career out of it, it is never too soon to start creating your merchandise.
Make money from your merch
One of the key business attitudes that musicians and groups often lack is the idea of making money from all the possible avenues that exist around them.
How to get the most out of digital downloads
If fans are looking for your music they are going to search for it online. When the results come up, they are going to click on the first one that looks likely and download it. They are not going to think too hard about whether that download is legal or not.
Online fans are more than just a mailing list
Social networking platforms allow people to easily stay in touch online and exchange information about events, people and matters of shared interest. For a musical entity, they are very attractive because of their viral nature.
Leverage your online presence
The popular understanding is that if you leverage your music and your band presence effectively enough online, you actually don’t need a record label to sell your music and make a living. Theoretically this is true.
Approaching tv stations with your music
Right now South African television is providing more outlets for music videos than ever before. All of the SABC stations play videos as filler inbetween shows, and they also all carry programmes that present music as part of their content plans. The same goes for eTV and Multichoice.
Video now more important than ever
There is an old song by a band called The Buggles, which lamented the death of radio because of the onset of TV. It’s called “Video Killed The Radio Star”. Not only does this demonstrate just how wrong a guy can be, but also that, while music promotion platforms change, some basic things do remain the same.
Do not rely solely on digital
Once your group is performing live and looking at touring or getting airplay, your best and most effective calling card is your music. We have already seen that in its digital form this can have a very long reach and help to grow your reputation. But do not rely solely on the digital domain.
Getting your music on the radio
The next step after making your recording and ensuring it is all over the internet and mobile download platforms is to try and get some radio play from it.
Do digital
Once you have your recordings it is important that you put them to work for you to help get the name of your musical project out into the public eye. One of the most effective tools that now exists to accomplish this is the digital download.
Do's and don'ts of demo recordings
The demo recording is a band’s primary tool of persuasion from a musical point of view. An abbreviation of “demonstration”, a demo is exactly that: it gives a band the chance to strut its stuff.
Recording and registering your music
The issue of recording is one that has shifted in importance over the years to the the point where it inhabits a fairly unique space in recent times.
Understanding the SA music-scape
South Africa does not have the biggest music industry around – in fact it is fairly underdeveloped considering the size of our population. However, it is growing, and in some areas growing fast.
Playing live: rockstar rules
This piece deals with how to behave before, after and during live shows. I call them Rockstar Rules as a kind of ironic reference to the attitude some bands have towards their fans.
