So that went pretty well.

This past Thursday evening my company, Aderra, and our friends, Killola, made a little bit of history.

The Aderra office in Los Angeles, prepping for a live video stream direct to USB thumb drive using PushOvr™

Last December I posted about how I thought the folks in Killola were doing exactly all the right things that a new band should be doing. Since then they have released a new record, gone on a national tour, appeared on TV in Dallas and Salt Lake City, completed filming of a new feature length movie, opened an online store and released the K)) USB Dog Tag. Here a video that explains what fans get when they buy a K)) USB.

The USB is enabled with our new PushOvr™ Technology. PushOvr™ allows us to update content on the USB, provides a gateway to send downloads, exclusive streams, merch offers and live video streaming to inside the USB. And this is where the history part comes in. For the first time EVER we streamed a live video performance to the inside of an album.

First on June 24th then again on July 22nd we shot Killola performing and streamed it directly to the USB. This video was not viewable on the internet, it went directly to flash drive dog tags.  Here is a screen shot a fan took during the performance.

And you can read more about it HERE.
So while making claims about "making history" may seem a bit cheeky, this is a tech development I have been working on for three years now and it is personally rewarding to see it grow from idea to actuality. back in mid-2007 I began developing the idea of a User Interface that could be embedded on the USB drives we were selling at concerts.

First Major concert we recorded was Big Head Todd at Red Rocks.

At the time we loaded a single, continuous MP3 of a concert onto thumb drives at the end of a show. We were rapidly building first generation of the CapApp™ software platform for real-time encode, edit, meta-tag and burn and I wanted to find a way to make not just edited separate tracks available but also a cool way to present them to the fan. I began working on code for a stand alone desktop application and pretty quickly got discouraged by the daunting task of making something simple that would be easy to install and use for fans as well as work cross platform. I began to explore other options and looked into a browser based solution. The first UI that we built was for an artist named Kim Kline It was fairly rudimentary compared to what we are doing now but I hid my first attempt at content Pushing in the code. There was a static image on the background that had a server call to the exact same image. This way no one would notice if my experiment didn't work because the image was "missing". It worked but it was a bit clunky.

So fast forward 3 years, we're now able to create a secure tunnel directly to the browser or flash player based UI. The pinnacle of which is streaming video in real-time directly to the jump drive.

Next up: a two way portal system we call Wurmhole™.

So that went pretty well.

Is the CD Dead or just Demoted? Part 4 Johnny from Killola Responds

Here is Johnny from Killola discussing their take on CDs:

1) Do you think it is important to have your music available to fans on Compact Disc?

I do. We're not quite out of the CD woods yet, media wise. It's still a comfort to hold a CD in your hands and read a booklet. As long as CD players are the standard dash-imterface in cars, people will probably want CDs.


2) What are the reasons you do or don't make CDs?

We still make them because it's a reliable and tangible music item. You can leave 20 CDs at a radio station after you do an interview... And those discs are a physical reminder of your music/visit. It's an item that a DJ can look at, and remember to play you, and give away to listeners, etc. That element, combined with the fact that people still want it.... Pushes us to still make em.


3) If you have CDs available, what price do you sell them at?

$5 for anything not new... $10 for a new release.

4) Have you seen the iTunes LP yet? What did you think?

Huh?

5) Do you offer FLAC downloads? Can you play a FLAC file on your system?

If someone wants a wav/aif ... I'll get it to em somehow. I haven't messed with FLAC much.

6) Does your act participate in any carbon credits or green programs to offset the environmental impact of CDs?

Nah.

7) Why has there been a resurgence of interest in vinyl records?

They're classicly cool. Music is a ritual when the playback is a process... Just like coffee making. A French press takes a while to make the coffee, and it's not simple... But some people fiend that process. I know I do. The coffee tastes better to me when I make it slowly and mind the process. That's my vinyl analogy. Vinyl=coffee press. Mp3=redbull. Both work and both have merit. Its just: what are ya feelin?

Is the CD Dead or just Demoted? Part 4 Johnny from Killola Responds

Putting my money where my mouth is: Why I partnered with an indie band for their next tour Part One

It is easy enough to pontificate and preach. Especially when you look at the missteps that have been made in he music industry over the last decade.

But...

it is an entirely different thing to put your money where your mouth is and actually do the things you tell others to do.

So I decided it was time to STFU and do what I have been saying other people should do engage music fans and make money on the road.

The first step was to look create a well rounded platform and then figure out how to implement it.

Goal number one is to make money on the road right? Wrong.

• Goal 1: Great performances of great music.
• Goal 2: Find new fans or let them find the act.
• Goal 3: Be sure they know they are now part of the tribe (more on this below)
• Goal 4: Give the fans a range of things to own that will reinforce their membership in the tribe

Let's take a closer look:

Goal 1: Great performances of great music.

This is a given. Great music first. Any artist that I am going to work with has to be striving to create something unique and in the words of Adam Miltenberger, "timeless" (ok, so that was a single word, not "words" but he still hit the nail on the head). Does that mean that every single note will be a new classic or that every show will be a mindbending revelation for the audience? Of course not but if that is what the act is working towards, I'm in.

Goal 2: Find new fans or let them find the act.

Attention artists: It's all about your fans.

without them you are nothing. We created a multi-level approach to get the attention of new fans and to reward the core fanbase for introducing new fans to the band.

How do fans discover new music that they like? They listen for free.

A fan will never come to your show, buy a T-shirt let alone get a tattoo of your logo if they never hear your music. We have created a streaming web widget, mobile phone app and a song a day giveaway to allow every chance for fans to discover the music. While the fans get the tunes for free we have built this on a platform of sponsorship that allows the band to monetize the music without blocking a fan from the joy of listening.


I will dive into goals 3 and 4 in the next post.

Putting my money where my mouth is: Why I partnered with an indie band for their next tour Part One

The 3 Main Lessons for new artists from the New Music Seminar L.A.

There were a few overarching themes at the New Music Seminar this week in Los Angeles:

1) You need help to "Do It Yourself"

After a decade or more of promises about how the internet would un-tether musicians and unlock immediate access to fans the reality has set in: It's just not that easy.

Reality has set in: It's just not that easy.

To help artists with the constant grind of social netowrking and fan out reach several companies have stepped in to assist. There are great digital tools available for indie artists through folks like Earnityourself.com, Reverb Nation, Hello Music and more (including Aderra.)

2)The Music Business is still in transition.
Some things have become apparent, The CD is a dead format. Yes there are still millions of shiny discs selling each year but the total has plummeted. While it is easy to blame peer to peer sharing there is clearly a larger trend. What's next? The current consensus seems to be that we are headed for a splintered multi-niche market. In the short term this is certain, whether there is a new paradigm of mass market success is yet to be seen.

3) The most important thing a new music act can do: MAKE GREAT MUSIC.
Don't get distracted by tweeting or updating your Facebook status. Work hard to write great songs and put on great shows. If the music is great, the rest is simple.
Dan from Killola has a more detailed take on the New Music Seminar HERE.

Post Script - A HUGE thank you to Tom Silverman and Dave Lory for giving us open access to everything and every one at NMS. From Panel recordings, to photo opportunities and private interviews it was a great day. The USB recordings will be available online shortly.

The 3 Main Lessons for new artists from the New Music Seminar L.A.

Music Discovery Engine - Waltzo.com

The folks at waltzo asked me to be one of the first guest curators for their new music discovery service.
It is an interesting approach: Only one song available for listening at a time per visitor. Playlists are compiled by curators that select songs based on their own personal criteria. (The first person who guesses the theme of my list gets a free USB from the Aderra sample table). There are no user controls to select artist, genre etc.
They are accepting submissions for the consideration of the curator from independent artists as well as record labels.
Some stuff on my playlist:

Ray LaMontagne - Crazy (Gnarls Barkley cover)
Julia Albert - Can you Tell
Shotgun - Bound by the Sound
UB40 - Alum Rock Dub
L.A. Tight - Lieseplein
Roger LaPlant - The Reasons for Quittin
Killola - Cracks in the Armor
Maxfield Rabbit - Drunk
Bored - Untitled
Avett Brothers - Laundry Room Live in a Flash!
Her and Kings County - My Backyard
and a dozen more

waltzo.com

Music Discovery Engine - Waltzo.com

New Artists - Killola's Top 5 Strategies for winning new fans

Here are the top 5 Strategies that independent artists Killola are using to win over new fans:





1) HIT THE ROAD - Where are new fans to be found? Not in your hometown. If you are a musician your imperative is to play music for other people. Go on tour, play to new audiences. Take smaller gigs than you are used to. Use resources like E.I.Y. to find gigs, places to stay, other bands to book shows with.


2) GIVE IT AWAY FOR FREE - Killola released their "I am the Messer" album for free through True Anthem. Fans who supplied their email address were able to download the album tracks for free but the band got paid through a sponsorship set up by True Anthem. In addition they captured a database of new fans who were able to discover and explore their music with no "risk".


3) MAKE IT COOL FOR THE FANS - At first blush I would say any money or effort put toward the creation of a music video was a waste. MTV is dead and gone. BUT, in the YouTube era a music video created on the cheap is a great vehicle to introduce a new act to fans. Especially if the members of the band have compelling personalities. Check this out:


"Cracks in The Armor". Killola made this video on their own. While the production values are very high here. That is not entirely necessary, you need to let the fans get to know you. At the Aderra Studio we waited anxiously for each Friday so that we could watch a new episode in the build up to the release of the Blakroc album.


4) ENGAGE WITH SOCIAL MEDIA - Actively engane your fans through all of the FREE social media tools available at you fingertips. Just remember: You are having a conversation with fans, don't just shout your lame hype at them. They will quickly de-friend you and disengage.

• Killola USB Wristband Video on Blip.tv


• Killola Facebook


• Killola MySpace


• Killola Twitter


• Killola Blog


• Killola YouTube


• Killola thestream.tv


• Killola Livestream.com

5) WORK HARD ON THE MUSIC - With all of this "busy" work tweeting, youtubing, touring etc. it is easy to run out of time for the music. WRITE GREAT SONGS. Make every effort to always be working towards writing great songs. Get help with merch, touring, booking shows etc. but NEVER ignore the music.



So, are these strategies working for Killola? So far I'd say it seems good.

Without management or a record label they moved over 50,000 copies of their "I am the Messer" album,

8 songs have been placed in the new "Girltrash" feature film, they have toured the U.S. and UK and are headed back out on the road this March (See number 1 above). Which is all pretty cool.

But in my mind the biggest commitment a fan could make to an artist is to get a TATTOO of the band's logo on their skin. Forever(unless you use a laser to remove it). Not just one fan has a Killola tattoo, A LOT do. Check them out: K)) Tattoos.


If my benchmark for victory as an artist is "One engaged fan", A tattoo is probably the ultimate engagement.

New Artists - Killola's Top 5 Strategies for winning new fans