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5 Tips On Getting a Job In The Music Industry

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I loved the post Tye White started and Hypebot picked up on advice for those wanting to work in the Music Business. I thought I would continue the conversation below:

1. Read Music Law in the Digital Age-The best book I have seen on the ever changing digital music industry.

2. Research. Whether you go into the concert industry or the digital music side of the business do research and make sure you understand how your company makes money. The music industry, especially the digital side is made up of very small margins. Try to think of ways to help your company grow and be proactive on how exactly you can help.

3. Attend conferences and mixers. Even if you are new and don’t have a job in the music industry yet you can still attend these. In the bay area there is a great conference called SF Music Tech and there are also SXSW mixers where you can mingle with people in the industry. Come prepared by making your own business cards, researching the speakers and attendees. Be sure to follow up after with thank you notes.

4. Find the people willing to spend time/talk with you and seek those people out. There a lot of people in the industry who guard their knowledge closely to the chest whereas there are folks who LOVE to talk. As an intern or someone looking to find out more information seek out the talkers and become close to them. Informational interviews are great way to learn more about how someone got the job they did. In these interviews focus all your energy and question on this person, they may give you great advice. This advice was borrowed from my interview with Andrew Prince, VP at the Venue Coalition.

5. Find a trusted group of colleagues/friends in the business. Whether you work with them, meet them at a conference or on twitter try to assemble a few trusted people to put in your corner. Whether they send you job postings, or you help them with your cover letter, someone in your industry around your level can be a great way to support each other to achieve your goals. Having someone to support each other during the difficult job impasses over a few drinks can also do wonders for the soul. Always make sure your giving as much as you are receiving.

Does anyone have any advice to add?

5 Tips To Maximize Your Experience At SXSW & A Free Music Sampler

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About 3 years ago I was brimming with excitement as I found out after years of longing I would be one of the chosen few to descend on Austin for SXSW for a week of networking and live music. Immediately I set to book my flight and hotel. I also contacted colleagues to set up meetings and compare schedules. Unfortunately not long after I booked everything and organized my schedule I found out from my boss that due to budget constraints I would have to cancel my trip.  While I understood and appreciated the possible opportunity I was crushed. I felt like Eddie Murphy’s neighbor kid that dropped his ice cream in Delirious. Fortunately I found someone I could transfer my badge to and all was worked out.

Since then like many of you out there I have had to live vicariously through my lovely friends and colleagues who throughout the years have become SXSW veterans. Facebook, Twitter, and blogs have become my best friends during the third week of March so I can get all the updates like I was there. I thought that I would ask the experts how they prepare for SXSW year after year. Perhaps one of these tips might help if you never have been or give veterans something else to ponder before you head out. So without further ado here are the top 5 tips for making your SXSW experience the best yet!

1.       Do your research with these online tools before you go

There are an abundance of opportunities at SXSW in terms of shows, showcases, parties and panels. Everyone I spoke with echoed that you HAVE to do research on bands, event, and panels you want to see BEFORE you get to Austin. Way back in the day Kelli Fannon of Rdio used to use a excel document and a highlighter to plan her attack on Austin but now there are some great online tools like Google Calendar to keep track of events. Kami Knake of The Orchard suggests using Sched.org to build your official calendar. Kami also suggests Scott Perry’s New Music Tip Sheet because it usually has the most accurate and up-to-date schedule of parties,  set time, and which events have free food and drink.   Caren Kelleher of Songkick recommends reading the blog  Done Waiting which helps to curate all the possible shows for you. Along with using these tools for research on your possible schedule it is important to listen to a lot of bands before you leave. Kami suggests “If you are going to SXSW to discover new music then you have a lot of listening to do before you get there!  First download the SXSW torrent which contains over 1000 free mp3s from artists playing official SXSW showcases.  These tracks can also be streamed via the official SXSW Shoutcast Stream. Also check out the Songza 2011 SXSW radio station.” Lastly, a new iPhone app was  announced today called Festival Explorer Austin Edition from The Echo Nest & Rhapsody. This free app allows you to create your own personalize schedule based upon your musical tastes.

2.       If you plan to attend a headliner show plant yourself there

We all know the popularity of SXSW has skyrocketed over the years and that has brought larger crowds and bigger bands. To combat this Caren suggests if there is a larger act you really want to see to camp out at that venue so you don’t end up missing the act and you might discover new artists. “For popular shows, you can end up waiting in a queue for so long that you end up missing the set you want to see. While it at first seems to miss the point of SXSW, this strategy has actually helped me discover a lot of bands I might have missed if I was instead trying to chase down every hot act in Austin. I camped out at Central Presbyterian Church for a show with Band of Horses and The XX and as a result discovered the incredible Holly Miranda, who played between the two.”

3.       Attend a few great panels

When most people think of SXSW they think of the shows and parties at night, but there is a conference going on during the day. Kami suggests that “Panels are a great place to learn and network!  Everyone should attend at least a couple but do your research first!  I always select my panels based on a speaker I want to meet or subject I want to learn more about.” Important thing to remember that Caren points out is that the panel’s conversations can be a little hit or miss because relatively anyone can nominate themselves for a panel.

Here are 2 suggestions on interesting panels at SXSW

– Who’s Gonna Make Me a Star Now? Panel

– Indie Label Roadmap Panel

4.      Wear comfortable shoes, come hungry

Erik Siebert of Revelry Media recommends wearing very comfortable shoes for those long days and coming to SXSW with an appetite. Looks like Austin has some amazing food trucks that offer anything your stomach might desire. Kelli Fannon also suggests the benefit of renting a car “I learned the power of having a car when everyone else is waiting for a cab.”

5.       Plan a loose schedule but allow for some deviation

Caren had some great advice for newbies like me, “I would also recommend that newbies put together a loose schedule but be diligent about not keeping to it. You can drive yourself mad trying to fit in everything you want to see, but SXSW is so much more interesting if you let your curiosity inform some decisions.”

I hope these tips will help you make the most of SXSW. Here are some of the bands my friends have discovered through SXSW:  Holly Miranda, Mates of State, and Starlight Mints.

If you are at SXSW this year be sure to attend:

1.   “Unburied Treasure Party,” a SXSW Day Party Thursday, March 17th presented by The Spellbound Group, Indiefeed, and Bands Under the Radar.  RSVP here and to download 10-song sampler from the bands playing the party.

2.   2nd Annual SXSW MusicTech Happy Hour Tuesday, March 15th

3.   The Orchard Day Party, Friday, March 18th

4.  Songkick Open House, Wednesday, March 16th

Behind the Velvet Rope with Andrew Prince, VP of Operations at Venue Coalition

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Andrew Prince, Vice President of Operations at Venue Coalition

I recently spoke with Andrew Prince who is a VP of Operation at the Venue Coalition, a company made up of 50 small and mid-market arenas in the United States and Canada. Venue Coalition provides its participating members with booking information and research that helps them identify booking opportunities. Prince was recently named by Billboard as one of the Top 30 Music executives under 30 years old. An honor that Andrew jokes that he “Had no idea he was even in the running for.” His company has had some staggering success in 2010; he has booked 100 shows, sold 400,000 tickets, and had $25 million in revenue.

Andrew has always been into music. In college at UCSC he ran a record label from a room in his house. His label became more of a hobby and less of what he wanted to do every day, “I couldn’t imagine starring at computer screens all day” he describes. He enrolled in the program called University Of Dreams, which guarantees if the applicant is accepted into the program will be placed in an internship of their choice. Prince started working for the executive director of the Shoreline Amphitheater in Mountain View, CA. He was able to shadow the executive director and see all aspects of running a venue from booking the band to catering backstage. After Shoreline, Prince really wanted to learn about booking at music venues so he convinced Bill Graham Presents in San Francisco to let him volunteer in the booking department and also in the sponsorship department. From there he headed back home to LA where he picked up a job “to pay the bills” and took music business classes at the UCLA extension. A family friend sent his resume to music promoter Jeff Apregan. Prince hounded Apregan to give him a chance to speak, sometimes calling his office every day. Finally, Apregan agreed to speak with Prince and 3 weeks later he was working as a promoter on the Neil Diamond tour. Prince describes Apregan, “As a mentor.”

Prince says he can’t pick a favorite venue but loves to see the Dave Matthews Band play the Gorge in George, Washington. He recalls booking Kenny Chesney, Miranda Lambert, and Zac Brown Band in Bloomington, IL at US Cellular Coliseum which was the smallest show on their major tour at 8,000 seat venue. It took quite a bit of convincing on Prince’s part to Chesney’s management but they ended up performing. Prince said the town was buzzing with excitement about the show. Literally everyone in the hotel he was staying in was going to the show. The most random show he ever attended was at the Roxy in Hollywood where the kitchen appliance band Hurra Torpedo performed.

Prince has some great advice for those looking to work in the concert industry, “Learn how to market yourself and write a great resume with no typos. You can never know too many people. Always write a handwritten thank you note after job interviews. Always remember to follow up with the people you meet.” He also recalls a great piece of advice from his manager at the Shoreline “Get to know everyone, but always find out who is a talker and become close with them. They will be more willing to give you great advice.”

Many Thanks to Andrew Prince for taking the time to speak to me! For more information about his company please visit the Apregan Group.

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