When artists step forward and share personal stories about a digital revolution that has marginalized the value of their work and made it nearly impossible to earn a living, only then will the audience begin to understand the importance of their support. A reasonable request, given the inspiration and joy that artists bring to peoples lives and the hypocrisy of singling out artists as unworthy of our support. After all, artists are only asking the audience and technology to hold up their end of the bargain; give something back of equal value in exchange for an artist’s work. Sincerely, Will Buckley, Founder FarePlay

1. YouTube. Take it or Leave it
YouTube is not your friend and it isn’t your marketing partner either. It’s
just a software program that stores files and finds things for visitors who
know what they’re looking for. The great thing about YouTube is that you
can find almost anything there. The bad news is that the chance that
someone would actually stumble onto your video and initiate a tsunami of
interest, that would explode into a viral video, making you an overnight
celebrity are practically non-existent. Dream on.
What’s far more likely to happen is that those who are attracted to your
music will find it on YouTube, listen to it there and never make it to your
website, the one place where you want them the most. The one place where
you go out on the first date and find out if there is more to the relationship
than a brief encounter. Music today is all about relationship building,
sometimes one fan at a time when you’re starting out.
YouTube has basically done you a favor, they’ve spelled it out in no uncertain
terms. They’re basically saying “you need us, we don’t need you”. To them
it’s a numbers game, to you its’ your life’s work. And isn’t that what tech
has been saying to you for over a decade? First by Google allowing pirate
sites to trash your music, until it was worth what they were willing to pay for
it.
You believed you were forging a partnership, when in reality you were being
manipulated by the smartest guys in the room. Unfortunately, none of them
understand the music business, nor do they have any interest in learning
about it. They’ve been selling advertising, not music. You’re just the bait,
not the catch. You are lost in a vast warehouse called the Internet.
Yes, the music business is broken and only you, the artist, can fix it. You
start by believing what you create has value and you refuse to take a bad
deal. Because until you tell them NO, they will continue to abuse you.
Take it down, take it all down. Because scarcity is the new marketing
strategy. You’re better off with a hundred fans who are willing to pay you,
than 5,000 fans who are willing to play you.