Entertainment Negotiation Insight from Lindsey Setting

On April 13, 2011, I sat down with Lindsey Setting, Contracts Manager for the Talent Casting, Booking and Contracts Department of a well-known central Florida theme park.  Having been in this role for over 2 years now, Lindsey has had plenty of experience negotiating contract terms with professional, in-park entertainers and she knows how to walk away with a successful new hire or extension for the company.

Allyson:  What are the types of negotiations that you deal with on a daily basis?

Lindsey:  I do contract negotiations with performers – actors, singers and dancers – represented by the [Actors’ Equity Association] union.  I also negotiate with agents of some of the performers. 

Allyson:  How do you deal with negative emotions received from those you are negotiating with?

Lindsey:  It’s really a case by case basis.  I just focus on the positive and let them know if I’m not able to give them exactly what they want that it doesn’t take away from their value.  I stress that it has nothing to do with their performance, just that it’s all we can do right now.  I also do not promise anything in the future.  If the performer continues to push for more then that’s where I have to give them a bottom line.

Allyson:  How to things such as “role” and “status” play into your negotiations?

Lindsey: “Role” and “status” go hand-in-hand for us.  If the performer has a higher skill-set/status, we may have the ability to offer them more.  If the role we’re casting for is hard to fill (such as a singer, dancer and puppeteer combination role), we may negotiate higher to get someone with that extensive skill-set, because we have to compete with the outside [entertainment] market as well.

Lindsey Setting

Allyson:  Do you find it is important to maintain a good working relationship with most of the people you negotiate with?  If so, how do you maintain this relationship when the deal is less favorable to the other side and/or you can’t give them what they’re asking for?

Lindsey:  Yes, it’s very important to maintain a good working relationship with the performers, especially when we need to move them around to other shows [in the parks].  If we have a good relationship with them, they’re more likely to do so.  If a deal seems less favorable to the performer, I explain to them the variety they can be involved in with a move, or a new show here, and get them to look at the bigger picture.  It’s always important to be respectful.  It’s so on-going with us, unlike outside areas like Broadway.  We want to maintain a good relationship with the cast in hopes they’ll stay if offered in the future.

Allyson:  How do you persuade someone to accept a job if they are on the fence?

Lindsey:  I always put it on their shoulders and tell them they have to do what’s best for them.  If we don’t pressure them, 9 out of 10 times they’ll come back to us [and accept].  This is where we also have to reiterate the positive and sell the stability of the company (i.e. a year-long contract with full benefits).  We have to get them to see the strength of the offer and that it’s more than their pay, and it truly is their decision.

Allyson:  What advice would you give to someone just starting out as a negotiator?

Lindsey:  Use common sense and keep it focused on the individual even if they bring up another candidate or another performer’s contract.  If the performer asks for more money, always ask them for a number – how much more they were thinking.  If they have a high request, don’t give it to them right away but say something like “I’m pretty sure we’re not going to be able to reach this, but I’ll do what I can” [and then talk it through with the team before getting back to the performer].  When talking with an agent instead, be especially prepared [with numbers and data] before calling, in order to minimize the time spent going back and forth between you, the agent and the performer.  Also if you say “that’s it,” stick to it.  You don’t want to lose your credibility for the next go round.

Music Marketing Tactics that Make People Take a Second Look...or Listen

So your band has written some great songs and finished recording an album.  Now you need to get your music out there and build a following.  You'll have to come to terms with the fact that you're not going to make much money at first until people actually know who you are and care enough to pay for your music and merchandise (Herbert, 2010).  (If you really love playing music, then it shouldn't be all about the money anyway, right?)  Simply giving your music away in the beginning and performing as often as you can (wherever you can) are two major ways to help spread word of your group and develop the fan base that is needed to keep your musical career afloat.

Here are some interesting, more specific marketing ideas I found that you can use to get people listening, and later on down the road make some decent music sales:

1.)  Put a "squeeze page" on your website (Herbert, 2010).  Similar to the picture to the left, a squeeze page is where you can post a video of your group speaking directly to potential new fans.  After giving them a brief intro to who you are, tell them they can score a free copy of your album by joining your mailing list.  This way you are are gaining name and contact information from those hearing that free music.  They can spread your music and you have a way to get in touch with them later on to further promote your band.

2.) Play live in places other than typical performance venues in order to attract attention.  Knab (2003) suggests being "the musical entertainment for your favorite local record store."  Or see about playing for free at local schools, parks and/or restaurants where your target listening demographic is likely to hang out.

3.)  A couple creative printed marketing ideas are promotional Post-It notes and business cards with lyrics (Knab, 2003).  Instead of handing out regular flyers promoting your next live show, album or website, hand out pre-printed Post-It notes with that information so the ideas "stick" better with people.  If you plan to hand out business cards to prospective music business partners, have them printed with some good lyrics from your songs or even some cool facts about the band to catch their attention.

4.)  If you have the resources and are ready to sell, do something different with your album packaging.  Although most music albums are sold digitally these days, you can hang on to physical CD sales if you step outside of the normal jewel case or cardboard sleeve.  For example, Indonesian group Tika and the Dissidents released their 2009 album, The Headless Songstress, "wrapped in a thick floral fabric" including "a free notebook in which listeners could write their own lyrics, as well as a booklet full of photographs of old Jakarta [Indonesia]" (Thee, 2011). Their album turned out to be one of the best local records of the year in Jakarta.


If you can be creative in your music marketing techniques, you will have a better chance of getting your band heard and eventually making a profit off of doing what you love.  For some other unique guerrilla music marketing ideas, go to http://www.musicbizacademy.com/knab/articles/gmm_suggest.htm.  To read about some creative marketing approaches taken by specific music groups like Tika and the Dissidents, check out this article from the Jakarta Globe.com: http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/lifeandtimes/the-art-of-music-marketing/430176.

References
Herbert, E. (2010, March 13). The evolvor music marketing manifesto for 2010. Retrieved March 20, 2011, from http://evolvor.com/2010/03/13/the-evolvor-music-marketing-manifesto-for-2010/

Knab, C. (2003, April). Guerrilla music marketing suggestions. Retrieved March 20, 2011, from http://www.musicbizacademy.com/knab/articles/gmm_suggest.htm

Thee, M. (2011, March 19). The art of music (marketing). Retrieved March 20, 2011, from http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/lifeandtimes/the-art-of-music-marketing/430176


Images
[Squeeze page]. Retrieved March 20, 2011, from http://www.alberthallado.com/video-squeeze-page-template-free-download-its-my-birthday/
[Post-it notes]. Retrieved March 20, 2011, from http://www.lifehack.org/articles/lifehack/post-it-note-calendar.html 
[Tika and the dissidents album]. Retrieved March 20, 2011, from http://omuniuum.net/cd-the-headless-songstress-tika-the-dissidents/

Adele Hits it Big with New Album, '21'

While some artists struggle to make hit follow-up albums after their initial debut records, Adele Adkins is one talented British singer who has had no such problem.  After her debut album, 19, Adele has created a smash follow-up, appropriately entitled 21, to indicate an increase in age and experience when she wrote the songs on the record.

Adele

Although 19 only made it to No. 10 on the Billboard U.S. pop album chart, Adele's follow-up album went straight to No. 1 with "the biggest sales total for any release since November [2010]" (Caulfield, 2011).  Unlike other No. 1 debut albums in the U.S., what makes this new album so significant is its strength in digital sales.  Based on Nielsen SoundScan data, "62 percent of the sales for Adele's 21 in its first week out were for the digital album version, with only 38 percent of its overall 352,000 units sold coming from CD sales" (Perpetua, 2011).  With Justin Bieber's Never Say Never: Remixes coming in a distant second last week with only 102,000 units sold, Adele would have made No. 1 on digital sales alone (Perpetua, 2011).  If that's not a testament to how influential the digital age has become and the growing obsoleteness of CDs, then I don't know what is.

Adele's music sells because she isn't a cookie cutter star and doesn't rely on Hollywood glitz and glam to get recognized.  All she needs is her raspy, jazz voice and relatable, raw lyrics to hit home with listeners and draw them in.  She also has a down-to-earth, enjoyable personality that will make you fall for her even more.  (Watch the recent RollingStones video at the following link to see what I mean: http://www.rollingstone.com/music/videos/adele-on-21-the-songs-on-here-are-the-most-articulate-ive-ever-written-20110216.)  Both the everyday American public and other U.S. celebrities can't get enough of this soul artist right now. Take Kelly Clarkson's tweet from early this morning where she says "I have been listening to Adele's new album pretty much non-stop and oh my goodness what a talented girl! If you don't have her album yet, trust me you need it!".  I definitely agree.

Get a nice taste of Adele's new album in this interview with New York Post:

References
Caulfield, K. (2011, March 2). Pop singer Adele leads U.S., UK pop album charts. Retrieved March 6, 2011, from http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/03/02/us-sales-idUSTRE7216Y220110302


Perpetua, M. (2011, March 4). Adele hits number one on huge digital sales. Retrieved March 6, 2011,   from http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/adele-hits-number-one-on-huge-digital-sales-20110304

Image:
Retrieved March 6, 2011, from http://www.thisiswomen.com/adele-adkins/

A Look at RIAA

According to its website, “The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is the trade organization that supports and promotes the creative and financial vitality of the major music companies.” Besides having the fun job of certifying top-selling music albums with the coveted “Gold®, Platinum®, Multi-Platinum™ and Diamond” awards, RIAA’s main focus is putting an end to digital music piracy and protecting “the intellectual property and First Amendment rights of artists and music labels” (“For Students Doing Reports,” n.d.). 

For those who illegally download music, you may be thinking how is it really going to hurt the rich and famous artists like Kanye West if I download their albums for free?  Though the piracy of Kayne’s albums may not make too significant of a dent in his individual earnings, we have to think about the bigger picture.  To make those Kanye albums it takes a lot more than the artist himself.  According to RIAA, “audio engineers, computer technicians, talent scouts, marketing specialists, producers, [and] publishers” are just some examples of all the people it takes to finish an album and get it out to the public, and whose jobs are being cut-back with the decline of album sales. Also, opposite the Kanye Wests of the industry, we have to remember the indie artists who are just starting out with almost no budget for their first album, yet decide to pursue their passion and give it everything they have. These new artists aren’t seeing any money at all for their hard work if their music is just downloaded for free. 

Here are some eye-opening piracy statistics from the RIAA website:

-     From 2004 through 2009 alone, approximately 30 billion songs were illegally downloaded on file-sharing networks.

-     Only 37% of music acquired by U.S. consumers in 2009 was paid for.

-     Global music piracy [between both street and online methods] causes $12.5 billion of economic losses every year, 71,060 U.S. jobs lost,  [and] a loss of $2.7 billion in workers' earnings.

RIAA has led the fight against online music piracy by opening numerous lawsuits against companies and individuals stealing music, in order to collect the rightful monies owed to the industry.  With the quick spread of internet data however, they realize that it is impossible to catch all abusers, especially catching all abusers on their own.  The organization has developed a better strategy in recent years by joining forces with major internet service providers, like universities, to spread word of the consequences of illegal downloads and to help catch the big offenders. 

As long as this digital age continues to expand and newer means of illegal music downloading and file-sharing are made possible, RIAA will continue its fight against music theft in order to save the music industry. We can all do our part to help RIAA in its quest by simply paying for the music we listen to.

Reference:

For Students Doing Reports. (n.d.). Retrieved February 24, 2011, from http://www.riaa.com/faq.php

Image:

[riaa logo]. Retrieved February 27, 2011, from http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2009/04/obama-taps-fift/

Apple CEO, Steve Jobs, Talks About "How to Live Before You Die"

Innovations like iTunes, the iPod and the iPhone, that have made (and are continuing to make) such an impact on the music industry, were all started by a man named Steve Jobs.

Steve Jobs

Although he never graduated from college, Jobs followed the new technology and designs he was passionate about, and in the end walked away as CEO of one of the biggest companies in the world today - Apple (Jobs, 2005). In his spare time, Jobs also founded Pixar Animation Studios where Toy Story, the first computer animated feature film, was created.

In June 2005, Jobs was asked to speak at Stanford University's commencement ceremony. He spoke about his life and gave the graduating students some words of wisdom about "connecting the dots," "love and loss," and even death (Jobs, 2005). Although the speech is almost six years old now, the advise Jobs gives is timeless and can apply to us all, no matter what our chosen industry or profession.

First Jobs (2005) advises that,"you can't connect the dots looking forward, you can only connect them looking backwards." By this he means that you can't foresee exactly how the actions you take now are going to affect you later on in life, you can only look back later to see how those actions turned out. Because you can't predict what will happen later on, you have to trust your gut and not be afraid to take risks now. Or, as Jobs (2005) says, "you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future." If new artists and musicians didn't take risks with their music, we wouldn't have some of the inventive sounds and successful collaborations we hear today. For me personally, if I hadn't left upstate New York and accepted my first professional internship in Florida for the Theme Park Merchandise department of Disney, I wouldn't have had the opportunity to move to the Entertainment sector of the company and work with the great Talent Casting team that I do today.

In the next segment of Jobs' 2005 Stanford Commencement Ceremony speech, he says that "you've got to find what you love," and to "keep looking" and "don't settle" until you find it. Sometimes you'll come upon bumps in the road, just as he did when he was at first fired from Apple after having a falling out with the person hired to originally run the company with him.  This lay-off turned out to be a blessing in disguise however because he realized that despite this setback, he still loved what he did (Jobs, 2005). It was in this time that he decided to start over and developed some other great projects, like a little company called Pixar. Things then came full circle when Apple ended up hiring Jobs back and he resumed his reign as CEO. Jobs knew what he loved and just kept going after it, and so should we. I have a passion for music and a desire to always work in the entertainment industry. Whether it be staying with Talent Casting at Disney, or one day moving on to another career in the music business, I will continue to pursue what I love.

In the last segment of Jobs' 2005 speech, he talks about death. He says, "remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking that you have something to lose." At the time of the speech, Jobs had recently survived pancreatic cancer when it turned out he had a rare form that could actually be cured with an operation. When pondering the initial diagnosis that he only had three to six months to live, he had been face to face with death. He quickly realized that yes, "no one wants to die," but it's a "destination we all share" (Jobs, 2005). Knowing that you will one day die is a powerful thing because it gets you to enjoy what you have today, and to try to always keep living life to the fullest so you are satisfied with what you've accomplished when it's your time to go. Because you have limited time, don't try to live in someone else's mold and do what makes you happy. I know I will.


Reference
Jobs, S. (2005, June). Steve Jobs: How to live before you die. Retrieved February 12, 2011, from http://www.ted.com/talks/steve_jobs_how_to_live_before_you_die.html 

Image source
[Steve Jobs]. Retrieved February 12, 2011, from http://www.allaboutstevejobs.com/pics/life/2007-2009/2007-2009.html

An Interview with Brad Ross

Recently, I had the chance to interview Brad Ross, Talent Booking Director for Entertainment at the most popular theme park and resort in Orlando, Florida. Brad has over 25 years of experience in the music industry, and he gave me some insight on how he started from the ground up and how he manages stakeholders in his position today.

Allyson: Growing up, did you always know you wanted to work in the music industry?  (i.e. Were you a performer or an avid music fan?)
Brad: I played the French Horn, but had no idea I'd end up doing what I do. I always loved music, but I thought I was going to be a dentist until I met my college roommate [at Tufts University]. He had a 12-string acoustic guitar and I said 'you're really good, you should start a band.' Then my friend said 'you get me a gig and I'll get a band together,' and that's what I did [back in 1983]. I went home and told my dad I was managing a band and he told me that he grew up with Ron Delsener, the largest promoter in New York City at the time. I found a picture of Ron from my Dad's wedding and sent it on a postcard to him asking for an interview. Apparently he liked that because I got a call to come in and interview for an internship and got it.

Allyson: How long did it take to work your way up in the industry and what jobs did you have along the way?
Brad: At Ron Delsener Enterprises, I started working with the production manager, running for bands – load-in to load-out from 8am-2am. I did that for a couple [college] summers, but Ron said that I really had to go to William Morris Agency and get trained. After applying a few times out of college, I finally got into the mailroom at William Morris in September of 1986.  At this point I had to sell ice cream on the beach on the weekends just to make ends meet. I worked my way up to theater casting, then to assisting an agent in the music department. In 1988, I got an interview at Arista Records and I got a job there in production. I wanted to be in artist development however and got my break when I tore a knee ligament playing basketball and was coming into work anyway, even though I was supposed to be staying home for six weeks. [Because of my dedication], my boss let me move to artist development after only a year. I was working under Clive Davis at a good time in the industry, when labels like Arista Nashville, LaFace and Bad Boy Records were forming, and artists like Brooks & Dunn, Alan Jackson, Sarah McLachlan, Toni Braxton, TLC and Biggie Smalls were on the rise. After being at Arista from 1988-1995, I was laid off when Arista artist development heads changed. After temping and managing another band for a little while, I got a job at ICM Talent Agency in the adult contemporary music department. A year later an agent spot opened up and I became an agent.

Brad Ros

Allyson: How did you end up leaving NYC to come to work in Florida?
Brad: I was at ICM until 2000 when I sold Pat Benetar to [perform] at Universal Orlando’s Mardi Gras event. I was later invited down for Universal’s New Year’s celebration and got to know the Universal Studios buyer. When the booking job opened up [with my current employer], they tried to get Universal's buyer, but since he didn't want to leave Universal, he suggested my name. I made the decision to take the job [in Orlando] and move to Florida with my wife to settle down and start raising a family. The job was supposed to be just booking for [the company’s] cruise line, but morphed into something bigger. [Today Brad books name talent acts for many major theme park events throughout the year.] The job [here] is perfect for me because it molds everything from my [entertainment industry] experience into this one job.

Allyson: Do you have any words of advice for someone just starting out in the music business?
Brad: Have a working knowledge of what makes up the industry and know what you want to do. You do have to get in when you can and take something, but you need to narrow down where you ultimately want to be. If you got the exact job you wanted and went in on Monday to do it - what would that job be? Figure that out before you move forward. Also, a lot of networking is involved [and crucial to get ahead].

Allyson: My current class at Full Sail University is Project and Team Management. Do you have any advice for managing stakeholders when booking acts for major theme park events?
Brad: There are two sets of stakeholders to handle in my job - the labels, agents and artist manager side, and then the internal [company] contact side. To maintain industry contacts I keep in touch with labels and talk to agents on a regular basis. I go to conventions in NYC, Nashville, Las Vegas and LA to see all the agents and new artists they're trying to market. I have to know up-and-coming artists so I can book them early because once they blow up it becomes too expensive to book them. We have Taio Cruz coming to [an event] this year because I caught him right on the up before he got big. Inside [the company] you have to have the right approach [and the proper business etiquette]. You have to work with other internal departments to get potential bookings approved, and that can be challenging. I've learned that if I'm right and have the facts to back it up, I can get the approvals I need. I don't give up when I know my picks are the right ones.

Apparently All You Need is an iPhone

Do you want to start a band, but are lacking some instruments? Are you an up and coming artist ready to put out your first music video, but do not have the budget to pay for video production? If you are answering yes to these questions while holding an iPhone in your hand, then your problems are solved.

The music business is constantly evolving to incorporate new technology, and Apple's iPhone is no exception to that incorporation. Today, if you have the right apps on your iPhone, it's become possible to record a whole album without ever picking up an actual instrument. Check out the YouTube video below of the band Atomic Tom playing their single "Take Me Out," live on a New York City Subway using, as you guessed it, only their iPhones.

Using the VonBruno Microphone, DrumMeister, Pocket Guitar, iShred and Virtuoso Piano apps, you too can form your very own iPhone band.

After you are done composing songs on your iPhone, you can also use it to cut costs on your music video projects. This music video, "Play," by band BJSR, was filmed entirely on an iPhone.

I don't know about you, but I can't tell the difference between this low budget video and many major music video productions out there today. You can go to the following link to watch an interesting behind the scenes look at how they did it and gain inspiration for your own iPhone shoot. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_NsyvY62k4

Despite the downturn in record sales because of the expansion of digital albums, technological innovations in music are still a beautiful thing. Indie artists are relishing in the fact that the digital age allows them to get their music out there at low cost and without what used to be the necessity of a major label deal. Many major label artists may be hindered by their current lack of CD sales, but even they can't deny how cool it is that, should they misplace their regular microphone or guitar, they can still carry on a performance if there's an iPhone around.


References:

Atomic Tom. (2010, October 14) “Take me out.” Online video clip. YouTube. Retrieved January 10, 2011, from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NAllFWSl998

Elliott, A. (2010, December). 10 compelling music videos shot on the apple iphone. Retrieved January 10, 2011, from http://mashable.com/2010/12/02/iphone-music-videos/